Uchiha Itachi
by Tsarina Torment
Summary: Meet Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke and Sakura's only son. He's a typical 16 year old ninja. Missions, jounin exams... Wait... What? Uncle? Akatsuki? SORRY, THIS IS ON HIATUS
1. The Mission

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

_**Diary**_

'_Thoughts'_

"_Thoughts in unison/telepathic communication"_

Chapter 1 – The Mission

_**I'm not going to start this diary with the usual, stereotypical, 'Dear Diary'. I'm just going to write in this when I'm bored, but I may as well introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Itachi. I'm sixteen years old. I have an older sister, Uchiha Mikoto, eighteen, and a younger sister, Uchiha Tani, twelve. My parents are Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Sakura. I have a big family (loads of uncles and aunts) though none of them are actually related to me, but still. My best friend is Nara Hiroshi. Like me, he's sixteen, but his birthday's six months before mine – 12**__**th**__** February whilst mine's 3**__**rd**__** August. The majority of my other friends are girls. But I have loads of fan girls as, like my father was, I was the academy heart throb. Apparently it's because of my raven hair and emerald eyes... But I digress. It's Naruto's birthday soon and I don't know what to get him. I mean, what could I get him that he doesn't already have? I could always resort to ramen tickets I suppose... Oh well, that's the least of my worries. Compared with the hoards of girls that dog my every step. Basically, that's scary. I can't escape unless I'm in my home. Dad's no help – he just laughs at me. Mum doesn't understand so she can't sympathise.**_

_**My sisters are so annoying! The amount of times I've caught Tani playing with my special kunai! I've lost count! And all the times Mikoto's asked me if I look good in various colours of makeup and in different outfits before she goes out with her boyfriend, Isas. I'm her brother for goodness sake! How am I supposed to know what boys like to see her wearing? And I've never had a girlfriend so I don't know what boys like to see in a girl! All I know is that I haven't found the one for me yet... if there is one. Perhaps I'm doomed to be forever single and chased after by girls. I'm waffling, I know, but it's my diary so there!**_

_**I don't know what to write...**_

_**Finally, my Sharingan has reached three tomoe – full development. I beat Mikoto on that account! She's still on two. Tani's still on one tomoe, nut she is the youngest. Dad did tell me once that the male's Sharingan develops quicker than females', but it's nice to see the theory in practise. Mikoto's jealous – it's quite funny actually... If only she hadn't inherited Mum's inhuman strength! Oww... Why did I decline Mum's offer to heal me? Damn pride. I really hate my ego sometimes. I must get it from Dad. Time to train, I guess. Suigetsu demanded that my squad mates and I meet him at the bridge at midday today... I just hope that that pervert's not late because he's got his head in that book again. It won't take the girls long to find me. Huff...**_

Uchiha Itachi put his pen down and sighed. He hated those annoying girls that followed him around everywhere he went. Hell, he could even sense them below his bedroom window. So much for trying to sneak out of there to avoid them. His perverted sensei had better not be late or he'd have hell to pay. He grinned. There was one exit that none of those girls watched... Mikoto's bedroom window. He'd just to hope that she a) wasn't in there or b) she was in a good mood. Damn it. He could sense her in there. Swallowing that damn pride of his, he knocked on her bedroom door.

"Who is it?" she demanded. He winced. She was in a really bad mood.

"It's me, Itachi," he called back.

"What do you want?"

"Can I slip out your window, sis?" he asked. "It's the only place that girls aren't lurking." There was silence.

"Fine." She opened the door. Looking at his white face, she laughed. "Those fan girls really scare you, don't they?" she asked, bad mood gone at the sight of her only brother looking scared of some girls.

"Fan girls? They're stalkers!" he responded, walking past his older sister. She grinned.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "I'll keep them away from you today. Well, I'll try." Itachi grinned at her.

"The bridge," he replied. OK, sometimes (ahem virtually all of the time) Mikoto wasn't that bad. In fact, contrary to appearances, they got on quite well, whatever the two of them said. They got on with Tani very well, too. A perfect family relationship, unlike the two Uzumaki sisters, who fought at every opportunity.

Itachi made one last scan of the area around his sister's window before jumping out and waving at his sister before running to meet his teammates at the bridge where, ironically, his parent's sensei had met them every day while they were Genin, and even Chuunin. A Chuunin himself, Itachi just couldn't be bothered to apply for Jounin before – but he was finally going to start the exam the following week. Despite being an Uchiha with a reputation to uphold, Itachi was actually quite nervous. Of course, only Mikoto had been told, but he had a feeling that his parents could tell – they knew him so well. He hadn't even told Hiroshi about the nerves gnawing at his gut.

He arrived at the meeting point and grinned. True to her word, he could see Mikoto in the distance, distracting a huge group (or should that be hoard?) of girls. As he watched, she pointed in the direction of the house and the girls all ran in that direction. He grinned. 'Note to self: don't go home for a while,' he thought to himself. A cough got his attention and he looked to see his teammate Kisame standing in front of him. They were friends, but not good ones.

"Ita-kun!" a girl shouted and hugged him.

"Get off me, Hanabi," he said tiredly. The only annoying girl that he couldn't avoid was her – his only female teammate. True, she did her fair share of hard work on missions and was a talented kunoichi, but she did fancy him... which was annoying. Then again, her mother, Karin, had been like that with his father, so it must run in the family, like her chakra sensing and unusual healing abilities. She was no doubt a valuable asset to their squad, she just happened to be annoying at times like this. But if she was here then that meant that her father probably was too. Neither she nor their sensei were overjoyed at being on the same team, but it was non-negotiable. At least Suigetsu didn't favour her because she was his daughter; if anything, she got all the dirty work like cooking and washing up. Maybe it was just their sensei being sexist, what with all those Icha Icha books he read. He was as bad as their old family friend, Kakashi, when it came to those books. tachi got a shiver just thinking about the number of times he'd had to persuade that pervert not to give him one for his birthday or Christmas. He doubted that Kakashi had listened to him; it was probably only because both his parents had stepped in with disapproving views every time the subject was brought up. His mum said that there was no way that anyone in her house was going to own one of those books and his Dad said that he had once been forced to read them by some creep called Orochimaru and that they were rubbish and he'd find it boring, not to mention the fact that he was sick to death at the mere sight of one of those books. Itachi thought that that was probably what had saved him.

Despite thinking deeply about those arguments, Itachi was fully aware of his sensei trying to sneak up on him. Just as Suigetsu was about to tickle him, Itachi twisted and grabbed his arm. He glared at the prankster that was his sensei, who laughed.

"Sasuke told me that your Sharingan is fully developed now," he said. Itachi nodded. His father was an old friend of Suigetsu's, he knew. Something about some random snake guy and them both being his subordinates – or something. He didn't quite get it... but hey. That was all ancient history as far as he was concerned. He did know that Orochimaru was dead, killed by his father, so he wasn't worried.

"Ahem," Kisame said, waving his hand in front of Itachi's face. "Earth to Itachi!" Itachi blinked and gave his teammate the famous Uchiha glare. Kisame just grinned – that glare never had any effect on him, he often attempted to return it. And failed because he wasn't an Uchiha. Suigetsu grinned.

"Like father, like son; Sasuke had a habit of spacing out a lot, too. Must be an Uchiha thing," he joked. Itachi gave him a death glare. "And then he glare at me just like that when I disturbed him," he added.

"Whatever. Let's just move," Itachi said, glancing over to where his sister stood directing those pesky girls elsewhere. His sensei chuckled as he followed Itachi's gaze.

"I see that Mikoto's distracting your fan girls," he commented. "You're not scared of them, are you, Itachi?" he taunted. The Uchiha shrugged.

"Can we just move?" he asked irritably. Suigetsu laughed before leading his platoon to their secret training spot that the girls had yet to find.

"Why did you summon us, sensei?" Hanabi asked. Suigetsu looked at his daughter.

"I know that you've only got a week until your Jounin exams, but I've decided to accept a mission from the Hokage," he said. Itachi sighed. He'd much rather have been training than going on a mission.

"I think you, especially, will find this mission interesting, Itachi," Suigetsu said, glancing at his annoyed disciple. Itachi looked at him disbelievingly. "We've been asked to retrieve a missing-nin. He's highly skilled, until recently he was thought dead, killed by Uchiha Sasuke, but the Hokage's just found out that he is, in fact, still alive. He's an S-Classed criminal formerly of this village." Itachi had a sinking feeling. The only S-Classed missing-nin formerly of Konohagakure killed by his father that he knew of was Orochimaru...

"Who is it?" Kisame asked. Itachi could have sworn that he heard a quiver of fear in his teammate's voice. Suigetsu grinned and looked directly into Itachi's eyes.

"It's a good thing that your Sharingan's fully developed, Itachi," he said. "His name is Uchiha Itachi." Itachi's eyes widened slightly and his teammates started in surprise.

"Uchiha... Itachi..." Itachi murmured. "How come he's got the same name as me? And what do you mean, it's a good thing that my Sharingan's fully developed?" he demanded. Suigetsu glanced at him.

"I've never met him, but I was nearby when Sasuke supposedly killed him. What did I mean? Like you, he's a Sharingan user – and a very adept one at that. Even you father's was easily overpowered when they fought. That's how talented he is." Itachi stared at him and could feel his teammates' gazes on him.

"How come he's got the same name as me?" Itachi repeated. Suigetsu looked uncomfortable.

"You were named after him," he said simply.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - finished. Finally, it took me two days to type up! Reviews are very, VERY welcome. Hint hint.**


	2. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_How come he's got the same name as me?" Itachi repeated. Suigetsu looked uncomfortable._

"_You were named after him," he said simply._

Chapter 2 - Confrontation

Itachi stared at his sensei; for the first time ever, shock was evident on his face.

"I... was named after... an S-Classed criminal? What were my parents thinking? Why? Who is he anyway?" His voice rose in volume until he was nearly shouting. His teammates just stared. Suigetsu sighed.

"You'll understand when you see him, I hope," he said. Hanabi walked up to Itachi and put her arms around him. For once, he didn't shrug her off. He was still too shocked by what his sensei had said.

"We're leaving in one hour. Meet by the gates before then. Itachi, you will understand," Suigetsu said. Itachi glared at his sensei. "Oh, and Itachi," Suigetsu called as Itachi turned to go, shrugging Hanabi off. "Don't tell your father who it is that we're pursuing." Itachi merely nodded and walked off.

It took him longer than normal to walk home. He ignored the girls as he approached his house. He walked in the door to be greeted by Tani.

"What's wrong? Itachi?" his little sister asked. He forced a smile.

"Nothing's wrong, little sis," he said. "It's just that I'm going away on a mission and I don't know when I'll be back, that's all." Tani wasn't stupid – sometimes she wished that they wouldn't treat her like a little kid anymore now that she'd graduated from the academy. But she could see that her brother needed to reassure himself about something, but he needed her help to do so – namely she had to be the one that he talked down to.

Itachi sighed again and went to his room to pack some supplies. Spare clothes, a medic kit – he wasn't denying Hanabi's ability, he just felt more comfortable when he had his own stuff as well – a multitude of weapons and finally a little present from Mikoto that he'd told nobody about – a hand-sewn pair of armguards. No-one knew that they were from her – and they'd saved his arms more than once on dangerous missions. There was a knock on his bedroom door.

"It's me," Mikoto called. "Can I come in?" Itachi got up and opened the door to admit his older sister.

"Tani told me that you were going away on a mission," she said. "What's wrong? You look like something that a cat would drag in." Itachi managed a small smile at his sister's comparison.

"Do I really look that bad?" he asked. She nodded.

"You're a total mess," she said gently. "Out with it – what's wrong?"

"Have you heard of an Uchiha Itachi?" her brother asked. She stared at him.

"Yes – that's your name, remember?"

He shook his head.

"Not me – a different one."

Mikoto shook her head.

"Apparently I was named after someone. And he's an S-Classed criminal," he whispered, so quietly that his sister had to lean in to hear him.

"I'm sure Mum and Dad had their reasons for doing that," she whispered back, putting her arms around him. He leaned into her embrace, needing the comfort that only his sister could give.

"My team's mission is to retrieve an S-Classed criminal formerly of this village called Uchiha Itachi who was supposedly killed by Uchiha Sasuke years ago," he whispered to his sister. Her breath caught as she heard their father's name. "And I'm not allowed to tell Dad," he added. His sister pulled him close and kissed the top of his head – something that only she was allowed to do."

"Don't worry about it," she told Itachi. "And I won't tell Dad either." Her brother smiled and embraced his sister back. She was the only person who could dispel his fears and insecurity like that.

"I'm meant to be meeting my team in a few minutes," he said. Mikoto let go and stood with him.

"I'll walk with you," she said. Itachi looked at her gratefully.

"Thanks, sis," he said. Together they made their way to the gates of Konoha where the rest of his team were already waiting.

"Ready?" Suigetsu asked. Itachi nodded and the squad walked out the village. They bumped into Sasuke and Sakura, who were returning from a mission. Itachi looked at his parents, and they didn't miss the look in his eyes – the... hurt? They couldn't tell.

"Hi, Sasuke," Suigetsu said. "Hello, Sakura. We're going on a mission for an unknown amount of time, OK?" Itachi's parents nodded and watched as their only son walked past them. To their surprise, Itachi didn't say anything, only nodded in acknowledgement of their presence.

"What's up with him?" Sakura asked her husband as they entered the village. Sasuke shrugged.

"Perhaps he's not too thrilled with the mission," he said. They saw Mikoto standing in the gateway.

"Mikoto, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked her eldest daughter.

"I came to see Itachi off – he wasn't feeling too good – I think the pressure of the upcoming exam is taking its toll on him," she said in response. Her parents accepted her reasoning for Itachi's strange behaviour. It made sense after all – they could tell that he was nervous about the Jounin exam next week.

"Well let's go back home OK, honey," Sakura said but Mikoto shook her head.

"I'm going to meet Isas," she said. Her parents watched as she walked away.

"She seems to know more about Itachi than we do," Sasuke commented.

Mikoto walked towards the Hokage tower at a fast pace. On arriving there she knocked on the door. Hard.

"Come in," the Hokage called. She entered the room and shut the door behind her. "What is it, Mikoto?" he asked. She glared at him.

"Why did you send Itachi on that mission?" she demanded. The blonde man looked at her in surprise.

"It was logical."

Mikoto coughed and glared at him some more.

"Explain _logical_. Because to me, logical does not cover undermining my brother's faith in our parents – or his self-esteem!" she snapped.

"Listen, Miss Hothead. In the entire world there are only four Uchihas who possess a fully developed Sharingan; your father, your brother, Itachi the criminal and one other, who is also a criminal. There was no way in hell that I could send your father on this mission – as good a ninja as he is, he'd have let his actions be ruled by his heart, not his head. While it would have, naturally, been a shock for your brother, I felt that I could trust him more on this mission."

"Are you saying that you trust Itachi more than your best friend?" Mikoto demanded.

"On this mission, yes," Naruto said. "You stand there accusing me of sending your brother on that mission, but I doubt that you know who this Uchiha Itachi is – am I right?" Mikoto said nothing. "Uchiha Itachi is five years older than your father. He is, in fact, your uncle." Mikoto stared at her adopted uncle in shock.

"My uncle... is an S-Classed criminal?" she demanded. "And my father tried to kill him? What are you talking about?" Naruto sighed.

"Perhaps it would be easier if I started at the beginning – but you must promise not to tell _anyone_ – not even your family or closest friends."

"I promise," she said with no hesitation. Naruto chortled.

"It's a sad story, I warn you. Well, until Sasuke was seven he had everything anyone could want; a loving family (father, mother and older brother) as well as being top of the class at the academy. But, shortly before he turned eight, something terrible happened. His entire world was turned upside down. His older brother, Itachi, turned on the Uchiha Clan and killed every member, except Sasuke. Of course, Itachi was thrown out of the village for that and his motive still remains a mystery. Sasuke swore to avenge his clan, and he did when he was your brother's age – or so we thought. Something you have to understand here is how talented your uncle is. He was constantly referred to as 'The Pride of the Uchiha Clan'; a highly gifted individual. I've met him a few times, and he's scarily good at genjutsu – and far from shabby with ninjustu and taijutsu. Until your brother brings him back, you _must not_ mention any of this to your father as he'll go crazy. I'm trusting you here, Mikoto, don't let me down." The female Uchiha nodded.

"Naruto..." she asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering – are Tani or I named after anyone?"

Naruto sighed.

"I never met her – but I've heard nothing but praise about Uchiha Mikoto. She was Sasuke's mother and he adored her. Her death hit him particularly hard. As far as I'm aware, Tani wasn't named after anyone," he replied. Mikoto treated him to a rare Uchiha smile before leaving the office to spend some quality time with her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, a certain, moody, Uchiha was glaring at the ground that he was walking on, ignoring his teammates' attempts to make him talk.

"Cheer up," Suigetsu said, getting exasperated with disciple's silence. He was 'hnned' at. "It's not the end of the world, you know. Your parents had their reasons." Itachi's head jerked up with his Sharingan blazing.

"Not the end of the world? How would you feel if you had lived the first sixteen years of your life thinking that you were unique – and then discover that you were named after an S-Classed criminal? How would you feel?" he snapped, Sharingan glaring at his sensei.

"Itachi..." Suigetsu started.

"Are you talking to me or is the missing-nin I'm named after listening?" the young Uchiha snapped viciously. Suigetsu's violet eyes widened slightly in shock. Even in his foulest moods, Itachi had never snapped at him like that.

"Ita-kun," Hanabi whimpered, embracing the furious teen. He calmed down slightly. That was _his_ nickname. Suigetsu watched in relief as the Sharingan faded and Itachi's eyes became emerald again. Only Hanabi could do that. Itachi's reaction showed just how shaken up he was by the mission. He didn't know how he'd take it if he knew that the only reason _their_ team was doing the mission was because his Sharingan was fully developed. Otherwise, it would've been Mikoto's ANBU squad. He decided not to tell him.

"Sensei?" Kisame asked. "Is the target accompanied by anyone?" Suigetsu nodded.

"Yes. When I travelled with Sasuke, he was accompanied by a missing-nin from Kiri – Hoshigaki Kisame. I don't know if they still travel together, though," he told him. Kisame didn't respond. He thought that he could tell how Itachi felt – sharing a name with an S-Classed criminal. There was a grunt from them and they spun around, Itachi activating his kekkei genkai.

"Another Sharingan user," a tall (very tall), well-built man said. His skin was pale blue, and his teeth were pointed like Suigetsu and Hanabi's. "Were you talking about me?"

Suigetsu glared.

"What do you want, Kisame?" he demanded, gripping the hilt of his sword. **(A/N – Yes, I know Kisame's dead, but I like him too much so I've included him anyway).**

"Come on out, I know you're there!" Itachi called. "You can't hide from my eyes." A tall, lean man stepped out. He had long, almost black, hair which was pulled into a low ponytail, and deep onyx eyes. Hanabi and Kisame looked from him to Itachi.

"Ita-kun," Hanabi said hesitantly. "He looks like you." The stranger gazed at Itachi, taking in the Sharingan, his blue-black hair which fell to his shoulders.

"You're Sasuke's son, aren't you." It wasn't a question. "Who's your mother?" The voice was smooth, compelling.

"Why should I tell you?" Itachi challenged, fighting the genjutsu – courtesy of his mother's genes. The stranger blinked and Itachi found himself looking into a Sharingan – identical to his own. Sharingan clashed with Sharingan in a clash of wills as the others watched. The older Kisame chuckled.

"This reminds me of when I saw him fight Sasuke that time – the clash of the two Sharingans," he commented.

"Who are you?" the younger Kisame demanded.

"Me? I'm Hoshigaki Kisame," was the response.

"And him?" Hanabi demanded, crimson eyes flashing, gesturing towards the stranger.

"Him? That's Uchiha Itachi. Who's the squirt?" Kisame replied.

"Uchiha Itachi," Suigetsu said. The older Kisame looked confused. "Sasuke named him after Itachi," he explained.

Meanwhile, the two Itachis were glaring at each other, neither backing down. The younger one stumbled and his opponent took advantage of that, only to get punched for falling for the teen's trick. Using the strength inherited from his mother, Itachi sent the criminal he was named after flying. The man sailed backwards and connected solidly with a tree.

"Well done, Ita-kun!" Hanabi said, but Itachi shook his head.

"He's not beaten yet – Kami, he's powerful!" Hanabi looked surprised.

"But you knocked him out..." she trailed off as Itachi shook his head again.

"He's faking it – he's suppressing his Chakra, but he's perfectly fine. Who is he, anyway?"

"That's the target," his sensei said.

"I was named after _him_?" Itachi said, looking at his namesake. Suigetsu nodded.

"So your name's Itachi, huh?" the older Uchiha said, standing up. "Like me."

"What are you to my father?" the teenager demanded.

"Sasuke? He's my younger brother." It was said so calmly.

"Impossible! That would make you my uncle!" Itachi snapped. His uncle shrugged.

"It's true," Suigetsu said. "That's your father's older brother." The sixteen-year-old glared at his sensei.

"You knew." It wasn't a question. "Why didn't you tell me?" he shouted. Hanabi grabbed him before he could attack her father.

"Two reasons," Suigetsu said, keeping an eye on the older Uchiha. "One - It wasn't my place to tell you. Two – I knew you'd react like this." The two Uchihas glared at each other, Sharingans blazing.

"You referred to me as 'the target'," the elder said. "What do you want?"

"Our mission is to find Uchiha Itachi and bring him back to Konohagakure," Hanabi said calmly, releasing her teammate.

"What if I don't want to come quietly?" the former Leaf shinobi asked.

"You don't have a choice," the younger Uchiha told him. The oldest living member of the clan gazed at him calmly.

"Mangekyo Sharingan!" he said suddenly. Both his Akatsuki partner and Suigetsu gasped.

"Itachi!" they both shouted, although they meant different people.

**There's the end of Chapter 2. These chapters are going to be quite long (well, most of them). This took me 3 days to type (I think – maybe longer).**

**Anyway, PLEASE review.**


	3. Injury

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_Mangekyo Sharingan!" he said suddenly. Both his Akatsuki partner and Suigetsu gasped._

"_Itachi!" they both shouted, although they meant different people._

Chapter 3 – Injury

Uchiha Itachi, son of Uchiha Sasuke, collapsed to his knees. He could see a red moon and the Uchiha compound in negative form. A young boy ran down the street, watching people die; people wearing the Uchiha crest on their backs. A ghostly image of his uncle appeared.

"That's your father," it said, pointing at the young boy. "He was seven at the time. I killed our entire clan – and now you're going to watch, helpless, as he did all those years ago." Rage flooded through Itachi as he heard that; rage that he needed to break free of the genjutsu. He didn't move an inch – he could sense his uncle approaching with the intent to kill. The elder Uchiha stopped in front of his victim and laughed cruelly.

"You are just like your father – he couldn't take Tsukuyomi either." He drew a kunai and stabbed at his nephew. Itachi didn't react – it was a feint and he knew it. A triumphant grin spread across his uncle's face. He lunged again – this time for real. The younger Uchiha reacted with inhuman speed. In one fluid movement he drew his katana – a gift from his father – and deflected the blow so that it avoided anything fatal. Using the momentum of the stroke, he stabbed his uncle, reaching the spinal column with enough force to remove any further threat from his uncle. He quickly moved out of his uncle's reach, whilst still keeping his katana against Itachi's spine.

"Don't. Ever. Underestimate. Me," he said slowly and clearly, watching the older Uchiha carefully. His uncle laughed.

"You're good. You broke free from my Mangekyo Sharingan, deceived me and then got out of my striking range quickly. Your father could never manage that," he complimented. "As a reward for your talent I'll come quietly. But I'm curious – who's your mother?" Itachi glared at him. Hanabi slipped round behind their target and securely tied him with some special bonds designed to drain Chakra.

"You haven't earned the right to know," Itachi told his uncle. "Let's go." He and his squad mate Kisame grabbed their prisoner and waited for their sensei.

"You can stay or you can go – we have no orders concerning you," Suigetsu told the other criminal. Kisame shrugged.

"I don't want to abandon Itachi... but I'd rather not get captured. I'll go," he replied before vanishing.

"We'll wait a while," Suigetsu said. "We have to return at night or the villagers will see us." His three subordinates nodded and sat down, forcing their captive to as well. He offered no resistance; the Chakra draining bonds were doing their job – and quickly. He slumped over backwards, unable to sit without support - apparently. Itachi kicked him viciously.

"Get up," he said. "Stop faking. You can sit up just fine." His uncle winced and looked up at him.

"Kick me like that a few more times and I won't be able to," he commented. Itachi moved his leg back. The older Uchiha hastily sat up, making his nephew grin in triumph.

"You're a disgrace, Itachi," Suigetsu said to their prisoner. "You used to take blows like that without flinching."

"I'm not as young as I used to be..." Itachi responded.

"Nonsense. Sasuke's as lively as ever," Suigetsu scoffed.

"He _is_ five years younger than me," Itachi pointed out.

The younger Uchiha listened to the conversation purely because he was bored. Some of it was interesting, like the age gap between his father and his uncle, but most of it was boring.

Hanabi sat next to him and put her arm around him, staying silent even when he glanced at her. Kisame sat on her other side and grinned at his squad mate, trying to cheer him up. It didn't work as Itachi was staring into space.

"You guys should get some sleep," Suigetsu said. "It'll be a long, sleepless night." Itachi nodded and shut his eyes. Because Hanabi's arm was around him, he slumped against her as he quickly fell asleep. She lowered him so that his head was resting on her lap and stroked his hair with one hand; the other hand she draped across his torso as she too shut her eyes and succumbed to sleep, leaning against Kisame, who put his arm around her and rested his head on hers. Suigetsu looked at them and smiled.

"They look sweet like that," he commented to the older Itachi, who nodded in agreement.

"Itachi reminds me of Sasuke a lot," he commented. "He acts just the same." It was Suigetsu's turn to nod. They sat comparing stories about Sasuke until twilight, when Suigetsu decided to wake up his squad. He poked Kisame.

"Wake up!" he said. The young ninja grumbled and opened his eyes. Seeing that the sun had set, he shook Hanabi, waking her.

"It's time," he said when she scowled at him. Her scowl faded and she poked the sleeping boy in her lap. He moaned and opened his eyes, looking up at her quizzically.

"Up you got," she said. "It's twilight." Itachi groaned and sat up, wondering why his head was on her lap. He looked over at his uncle, who smiled weakly back. Suigetsu pulled their captive to his feet, while Kisame and Hanabi pulled their teammate up. The teenager stumbled and fell against the kunoichi.

"Ita-kun?" she asked, concerned. He gasped and bent over, clutching at his abdomen. "Let me see." She sat him back down and pulled his top up, cursing when she saw the injury that he had sustained while fighting his uncle. Blood was constantly seeping out the wound and rolling down his body.

"Lie down," Hanabi commanded. He complied and she rolled up his top so that she could treat him. Despite the blood loss, it didn't appear serious enough for her to need to use her special ability so she reached into her weapons pouch and withdrew her medic kit. Using her water Chakra, she wet a piece of cloth and pressed it against the wound. The white material quickly darkened.

"Kisame, keep the pressure on," she instructed. Her teammate pressed down, trying to stem the flow of blood. For such a small wound, it was far more serious than Itachi had realised when he had deflected the blow. Hanabi created a wad of gauze and ordered Kisame to change the blood soaked material for the clean one. He did so and Hanabi secured it with tight bandaging. Once she was done, they helped Itachi to stand.

"Hanabi, Kisame, you escort the prisoner," Suigetsu ordered. Quickly, they did so while Suigetsu supported Itachi. "Let's go." The five ninja made their way to Konoha. When they got there, they were surprised to be greeted by Mikoto.

"Itachi!" she gasped when she saw her brother. He grinned at her.

"Hey, sis," he said weakly. Their prisoner looked at her with interest. Feeling his gaze on her, Mikoto turned and inspected him.

"So you're my uncle," she stated before walking over to her injured brother. "Naruto told me," she added, seeing her brother's face.

"Only because she was shouting at me for sending Itachi on that mission," the Hokage said, stepping up beside her. Itachi grinned at his sister, who put her arm round him to provide support.

"Let's go to the Hokage tower," Suigetsu suggested, looking at his disciple's pale face in concern. Naruto nodded in agreement and grabbed their prisoner's arm, leading the way. As soon as they arrived, Mikoto persuaded her brother to sit on a chair. He slumped back and only his sister's support prevented him from falling off. Immediately, Hanabi knelt down in front of him and pulled up his top.

"It'll be easiest if you take this off," she explained. Mikoto just grabbed the material and pulled it up over her brother's head. The cloth that bound his wound was soaked through with blood. Carefully, Hanabi unwound the bandaging and the blood leaked out, oozing down his body. Mikoto glanced at it worriedly.

"Hasn't it stopped bleeding yet?" she asked. Hanabi shook her head, equally concerned.

"We'll need your mother, looking at that," Naruto commented, forcing the older Uchiha to sit in the corner. "Mikoto, can you go get her? And get your father and Tani while you're at it – but don't tell your father about him -" he jerked his head towards the prisoner. "- just that Itachi's injured." Mikoto nodded and stood. She glanced at her uncle – she hadn't missed the shock on his face when Naruto had said her name – before heading towards her home. Entering the spacious residence, she shouted for her parents and sister. They came running.

"What is it, Mikoto?" Sakura asked.

"Itachi's back – but he's injured beyond Hanabi's skills," her eldest daughter explained. Sasuke's eyes widened in concern for his only son and suddenly the entire Uchiha family was running towards the Hokage tower as fast as they could.

Meanwhile, Naruto glared at his captive.

"You will stay quiet and in that corner – understand? If Sasuke notices you before I want him to, things could get out of hand pretty quickly." Itachi nodded and looked at his semi-conscious nephew, who was being laid on the floor.

"That girl that went to get my brother – is that Sasuke's daughter?" he asked. Naruto nodded as he watched Hanabi change the dressing on Itachi's wound – again.

"Sasuke won't be happy that you've injured his only son," Suigetsu commented. There was the sound of running feet and the Uchiha family burst in. They saw Itachi, almost unconscious on the floor and hurried over to him. Suigetsu and Naruto strategically placed themselves so that Sasuke couldn't see his older brother.

"Itachi!" Tani sobbed, sitting on the floor by her brother. Mikoto resumed her place by Itachi's side. Sakura knelt down by her son and performed some seals, causing a green glow to engulf her hands. Gently, she pressed her healing hands against the wound. Sasuke just watched in silence as the deep cut closed and his son fully lost conscious. In concern, he darted forwards and cradled his son in his arms. Looking around, he saw the miraculously clean Hokage desk and laid his son on it.

"What happened?" he demanded, turning towards Naruto and Suigetsu. For the first time, he noticed their unusual positioning. "What's behind you?"

"Sasuke..." Naruto started but his best friend cut him off.

"Don't make excuses! My only son is injured and now you're hiding something from me!"

"SASUKE!" Naruto shouted, cutting him off in turn. "Calm down. I'm not telling you _anything_ until you calm down." Sasuke glared at him.

"Dad... calm down. You don't want to disturb Itachi," Mikoto reasoned. Her father glanced at the unconscious teen behind him before turning back to Naruto. He didn't say anything. Sakura walked up at him and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and smiled, consequently missing the look of gratitude Naruto threw her. Sasuke took a deep breath and faced the Hokage.

"I've calmed down now," he said. "What's going on?" Naruto walked towards him, still blocking his view. Securely holding on to his best friend's arm, he turned and pointed.

"Look," he said gently. Suigetsu moved out of the way, revealing the S-Classed criminal behind him. Sasuke stared at the man sat in the corner.

"Who...?" he asked, but fell silent when he saw the man's face. His look of confusion was replaced by anger. "You! How can you be still alive?" he demanded, stepping forwards. Naruto restrained him.

"It's a long story... brother," Itachi said, looking up at Sasuke. Tani gasped and ran up to stand by her mother. Mikoto stepped up and put her hand on her father's arm.

"What did you do to my son?" Sasuke demanded harshly. His elder brother looked down.

"Our mission was to find and capture Itachi," Suigetsu cut in. Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"How did you know he was still alive? Why did you send my son?" he demanded. Naruto sighed.

"I needed to send someone with the Sharingan. Initially I was going to send Mikoto's ANBU squad, but then Itachi's Sharingan reached three tomoe," he explained patiently.

"Why not me?" Sasuke asked.

"Be honest. Would you have been able to capture, not kill?" Naruto responded. Sasuke looked down. "Exactly."

"So what happened?" Sasuke asked, glancing at his son.

"He managed to outsmart me," Itachi said. "But it cost him." Sasuke glared at him. "Realising that his Sharingan was equal to mine, I resorted to Mangekyo Sharingan..." Sasuke snarled and lunged at his brother. His family restrained him. "...But somehow he managed to release it and trick me into thinking that he was still affected by him. When I tried to deliver a fatal blow he deflected it slightly and stabbed me in return." There was a glimmer of pride in Sasuke's eyes as he heard how his son had managed to outsmart the genius that was his brother. Naruto realised that Sasuke wasn't about to kill Itachi and so loosened his grip slightly.

"Perhaps you should go home," he suggested gently. Sasuke nodded and walked over to his unconscious son and picked him up, carefully cradling him in his arms.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Sasuke said before leaving, followed by his wife and two daughters. They hurried home where Sasuke laid his son on his bed. Mikoto sat by her brother and smoothed back a lock of his hair. Tani slipped out of the room briefly to get a bowl of water and a cloth. Sasuke and Sakura left the room as she re-entered, leaving their children alone together. Tani damped the cloth and gingerly wiped away the dried blood. Once she had finished, Mikoto picked up his pyjamas and put them on him (she'd done it before so she knew that he wouldn't mind).

Carefully, she tucked him in and played with his hair, opting not to go to bed. Tani sat by her and held Itachi's hand. Both sisters were concerned by how pale their brother was. They hoped that he hadn't lost too much blood.

All night, Naruto, Suigetsu, Hanabi and Kisame sat in the office, listening to Itachi talking – occasionally interrupting with a question or two. By the early hours of the morning, they had learnt why he had killed his clan and all that he had done as a member of Akatsuki. Finally, Naruto permitted him to ask some questions.

"So, what do you want to know?" he asked.

"I'm curious about Sasuke's family," Itachi responded. Naruto sighed.

"Thought so. He's got three kids – Mikoto, Itachi and Tani. Mikoto's eighteen, Itachi's sixteen and Tani's twelve. Their mother's Sakura, who you may remember..."

"Pink hair, green eyes?" Itachi asked. Naruto nodded. "I remember, at least I remember a girl like that he had a crush on at the academy. Haruno Sakura, her name was." Naruto nodded again.

"That's her."

In the Uchiha Mansion, Sakura sneezed.

"Are you OK?" her husband asked, looking up at her worriedly. She smiled down at him.

"Someone must be talking about me," she said. He sighed and shut his eyes. Sasuke had been really shaken up by the realisation that his older brother was still alive; that was why he was lying on their bed with his head on Sakura's lap.

"Itachi'll be alright, won't he?" he asked her, meaning their son. She nodded.

"Yes, he'll probably be waking up soon," she assured him. He smiled.

"Good. When I saw him... all that blood..." Sakura put her finger on his lips.

"Shh, stop worrying."

Sasuke's strong arms wound around her waist and held her tightly.

"Get some sleep. Mikoto and Tani are with him," she whispered, pulling a blanket over him. His breathing slowed as he succumbed to sleep.

**There you are. Chapter 3 is finished. It took me three days. There is no excuse not to give me a review. Flames if you must, I'm not really fussed what I get as long as I get reviews. Even if it just says 'Great' or 'Rubbish' – I have nothing against one-word reviews.**


	4. The Truth

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**This chapter contains spoilers!**

*** * ***

"_Itachi'll be OK, won't he?" he asked her, meaning their son. She nodded._

"_Yes, he'll probably be waking up soon," she answered him. He smiled._

"_Good. When I saw him... all that blood..." Sakura put a finger on his lips._

"_Shh. Stop worrying." Sasuke's strong arms wound round her waist and held her tightly. "Get some sleep. Mikoto and Tani are with him," she whispered, pulling a blanket over him. His breathing slowed as he succumbed to sleep._

Chapter 4 – The Truth

In Itachi's room, there was a moan and the boy opened his eyes. It took him a few seconds to work out where he was. He was in his bed – how did he get there?

"You're awake, huh?" Mikoto asked, noticing that his eyes had opened. He nodded and felt something squeeze his hand. Looking down, he saw Tani's smiling face.

"Daddy was really worried," she said. "And so was I." He grinned and squeezed her hand back.

"Where are Mum and Dad?" he asked.

"They went to bed. Dad was really shaken up by meeting our uncle," Mikoto explained. "Mum wanted to make sure he got some rest."

"Is that man really our uncle?" Tani asked. Her elder siblings nodded.

"He's five years older than Dad," Itachi said. "His name's Uchiha Itachi." Tani looked confused.

"But that's your name, Itachi," she pointed out. Mikoto intervened.

"He was named after him, and I was named after our grandmother according to Naruto," she said. Her siblings stared at her.

"Who was I named after?" Tani asked.

"No-one. You're unique!" The young girl grinned and stuck her tongue out at Itachi, who was mock-glaring at her. The three of them laughed, and then tensed as someone knocked on the front door.

"I'll get it," Mikoto said as Itachi attempted to get up. "You stay still." Activating her Sharingan, she sped to answer the door. When she saw who it was, she glared and deactivated her kekkei genkai.

"You're jumpy," Naruto commented.

"If someone knocked on your door in the middle of the night and you weren't expecting anybody wouldn't you be?" she challenged. He chuckled.

"Can we come in?" he asked, gesturing at himself and his companions, namely Suigetsu, Kisame, Hanabi and Itachi. She nodded and stepped back.

"Where are your parents?" Naruto asked. She shrugged.

"Asleep."

"How's Ita-kun?" Hanabi asked.

"Fine – he came round just now."

"Can I see him?"

"No."

Hanabi scowled.

"Mikoto, I am well aware that you'd like nothing better than to be with him right now – surely we can come too?" Naruto reasoned. She sighed.

"I suppose," she said and dashed up the stairs.

"Who was it?" Tani asked, still holding her brother's hand.

"Naruto, Suigetsu, Kisame, Hanabi and our uncle," Mikoto said. "And they're coming up to see you, Itachi," she added.

"Can I sit up then?" he asked.

"No."

"Come on, sis, I'm fine!" he protested.

"No means no, Itachi," she told him. Naruto laughed. He was standing in the doorway.

"It won't do any harm, Mikoto," he reasoned. "Give him some dignity." Mikoto glared and stubbornly shook her head.

"If Mum had heard you say that..." she trailed off. It wasn't as though she needed to finish the sentence. Naruto winced.

"I'd be in considerable pain right now," he said. "And I'm not going to push my luck because all three of you have inherited her perfect Chakra control so you're just as capable as she is." Mikoto grinned triumphantly.

"Haven't you heard the phrase 'Uchihas are never wrong'?" Itachi (the older one) inquired. Naruto scowled.

"Sasuke's told me that enough times," he muttered. "It's annoying, but not always true. I've proved him wrong a few times." Tani glared.

"Don't talk about Daddy like that!" she snapped. Naruto gulped.

"Sorry," he said hastily. "How are you feeling, Itachi?" The young Uchiha shrugged.

"I've been worse," he said truthfully. "But I've also been a lot better." Naruto scowled at him.

"Stop being so darn clever," he sulked. All the Uchihas laughed.

"Are you sure that you're OK, Ita-kun?" Hanabi asked. He nodded.

"I'm fine."

"Which is why your sister's not even letting you sit up," Kisame commented. That earned him and Uchiha glare which, as usual, had no effect on him.

"If you've just come here to taunt me, go away," Itachi told him. "I'm not in the mood." To back him up, Mikoto and Tani glared at the boy as well; this **did** unnerve him.

"How come Daddy never mentioned you?" Tani asked her uncle suddenly. He looked uncomfortable.

"Let's just say that we didn't get on very well," he replied.

"Let's just explain everything in full and not patronise the little girlie," Tani snapped. Her older siblings shared a glance. Only they could talk down to their little sister and they knew it. Their uncle sighed and looked **really** uncomfortable.

"You've definitely got your father's attitude," he commented. "Well, to cut a long story short..."

"I said **in full**," Tani interrupted. "We have plenty of time."

"OK," her uncle said. "In full. Does that mean I have to go right back to the founding of this village?"

"If it's relevant."

"OK. When this village was founded, there were two major clans – the Uchiha and the Senju. They were the most powerful of all the clans so they were rivals. When they made a truce and formed the Village Hidden in the Leaves, one person needed to become the leader, now known as the Hokage. The leader of the Senju clan, Hashirama, was chosen, lessening our clan's status and humiliating our clan leader, Madara, and causing him to turn traitor. He fought Hashirama and was defeated and supposedly killed. Because of his actions, suspicion was sent our way and we were looked down upon. The Second Hokage, Tobirama, was somewhat more lenient, giving us the position of being the village's police force, which we did for years... Anyway, 37 years ago, the nine-tailed fox attacked the village. It was defeated by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, but suspicion for the attack landed on the Uchiha clan as our Sharingan was – and is – the only thing that can control the most powerful of all the tailed beasts. We were forced to live in a corner of the village where the ANBU Black Ops could keep an eye on us. Our clan didn't take lightly to this discrimination and so, when I was accepted into the ANBU Black Ops at 10, they started to plot an uprising. I'm ashamed to admit it, but while the clan used me as a spy for them, I was actually a double-agent, working for the Hokage and giving him information on the clan. When he heard about the uprising, he and his advisors gave me a very important mission. If things had continued as they were, there would have been a civil war. The only way to avoid it was for the Uchiha clan to be wiped out so my mission was to kill everyone." Itachi paused and glanced at his nieces and nephew. They were listening intently.

"And..." Mikoto prodded when he didn't continue.

"I did it. My clan was already suspicious of me, even Sasuke was slightly confused, and he was only seven. One night, when Sasuke was late home from the academy, I tracked down Madara, who I had realised was still alive, and offered him revenge on the clan that he felt betrayed him when they hadn't backed him up all those years ago. But in return, he had to promise not to attack the rest of the village. He agreed, and so we attacked and slaughtered the clan. He did most of it, although he couldn't handle the entire clan by himself. By the time Sasuke got home from the academy, there were only three members of the clan still alive: him, myself and Madara. It wasn't long before he realised something was wrong, and then he saw all the bodies. He then realised that our parents were in danger and so ran home as fast as he could. I remember waiting for him in our parent's room, by the bodies of our parents, listening to him shouting for them. I'd told him that morning that I was going to be on an important mission, so he wasn't worried about me. When he finally reached the room I was in, the first thing he saw was our parent's bodies. It was hard to listen to him asking me who had done it and why. I used my Mangekyo Sharingan to show him the death of our clan. It was horrible, listening to his fear as he realised that I had done it – he thought that I would kill him without a second thought too, so he ran away. I was faster though, and soon overtook him. I told him to run, I knew by then that I couldn't kill him, but he didn't. He fought me instead and I saw his Sharingan awaken, although he didn't realise that it was active. I overpowered him easily and then fled; I needed to talk to the Hokage immediately. I told the Hokage and his advisors that I wouldn't let them harm Sasuke – if they did I'd tell the village the truth about why I killed the clan. I also asked them not to tell Sasuke the truth; I didn't want his memories of our clan to be tainted by anything. I left the village and joined a criminal organisation called 'Akatsuki'." He looked at his brother's children again. They were all deep in thought. He felt guilty about telling them the truth, but they had demanded it.

"So Dad hates you for killing our clan because he doesn't know the truth," Itachi summarised. His uncle nodded.

"Why couldn't you kill Dad?" Mikoto asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know. I suppose it's because, despite appearances, he was the person I loved the most. What I told him when he asked me why I'd done it – that it was to test my limits – was partially true. I could kill my parents, my girlfriend and my best friend, but not my little brother."

"If you really loved me that much, why did you kill the people I cared about the most?" Sasuke asked from the doorway. His brother turned around with inhuman speed.

"How long have you been there?" he asked. Sasuke grinned.

"I arrived just as Tani told you off for patronising her. Now answer the question."

Itachi sighed.

"If I hadn't there would have been a civil war. I grew up during a war and it was hell. I didn't want you to grow up during a war too."

Sasuke looked down.

"But everyone? Mother? Auntie? They were all involved?" he asked sadly.

"Father was the ringleader so he forced them to participate. He forced me to as well."

Sasuke looked at his brother in silence. Mikoto stood and walked over to him.

"Sit down, Dad," she said. He just let her guide him over to a chair in silence.

"Sasuke..." Itachi started. His brother shook his head.

"Dad..." the teenager in the bed said, sitting up. Mikoto glared at him but he ignored her. Naruto, Suigetsu, Kisame and Hanabi backed out of the room, leaving the clan together.

"Sasuke," his brother said, walking over to him. Sasuke looked up and his family could see the tears running down his face.

"Don't cry, Daddy," Tani said, hugging him. He returned the embrace but did nothing to stop the flow of tears.

"Itachi, you should be lying down," Mikoto scolded, glaring at her brother. Sasuke looked at his son and frowned.

"Your mother will be furious if you don't lie down," he commented.

"Too right she will," Sakura said from the doorway. Itachi gulped and lay down quickly – but not **too** quickly. "What's wrong, Sasuke?" Sasuke shook his head and buried his face in his youngest daughter's long, blue-black hair. Sakura glared at her brother-in-law who nervously backed up, remembering both how painful Itachi's kick had been and Naruto commenting that the three young Uchihas had got their strength from their mother.

"Mum, leave it," Mikoto said. "I think everyone will be much happier after some sleep." Her mother smiled at her assertive behaviour and took hold of Sasuke's arm, gently tugging him towards their bedroom. He gently untangled Tani's arms from around him and followed his wife.

"You go too, Tani," Mikoto said. Her sister shook her head.

"I'm not tired!" she protested before yawning. Mikoto laughed.

"Nice try, now bed."

Tani grumbled but couldn't change her sister's mind so she left the room.

"Bed means **bed**, not sitting outside the door!" Mikoto called after her. Tani stuck her tongue out and bounced off to her bedroom.

"I notice that you're not going to bed," Itachi commented a few minutes later (the older one – the younger one had fallen asleep). Mikoto shrugged.

"Mum and Dad were wound up, Tani's too young to stay up all night and Itachi's injured," she said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have sent any of them to bed. I'm none of those so it's perfectly within my rights to stay here all night."

Her uncle chuckled.

"So what am I classed as?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I don't really know you so I can't judge," she said.

"True," Itachi said. "I notice that you're not bothered that I killed our clan, unlike everyone else."

"You did it because there wasn't any choice. It was a lose-lose situation so I can't blame you. You'll probably find that I'm not the only one who thinks like that. Mum won't, and I doubt Itachi or Tani do either."

Itachi nodded, relieved that his whole family didn't hate him for what he did.

"You seem very sensible," he commented. "I'm guessing you got that from your mother, knowing what I do about Sasuke." Mikoto giggled. "But it's not hard for me to see what your father was thinking when he named you," he added. Mikoto looked at him curiously. "Apart from the fact you have emerald eyes, not onyx, you look just like our mother," he told her. She stared at him. "Here." He held out a photograph. She took it and inspected it. It was of four people. There was a man that had the same colour hair as her uncle; a woman that looked scarily like an older version of her; a young boy, about nine, who had dark, almost black hair which was tied in a low ponytail – he looked remarkably like the man in front of her; and finally a young boy of about four with blue-black hair which spiked up like her father's did.

"This photo was taken just after I passed the Chuunin exam," her uncle explained. "The man is my father, Uchiha Fugaku; the woman is my mother, Uchiha Mikoto; that's me; and that's your father," he said, pointing out each person as he named them.

"Dad looks like Itachi did when he was that age," Mikoto commented. "Except the eyes."

Her uncle chuckled.

"That's how I recognised him as my nephew the moment I saw him," he said. "They look so alike." He grinned. "I must say, I'm pleased that none of you inherited your mother's pink hair. I don't mind the green eyes, but I wouldn't be able to stand it if you had pink hair!"

Mikoto grinned.

"Mum and Dad were relieved, too. Dad didn't want his kids to have pink hair and apparently Mum got teased about having pink hair and she didn't want us to get teased – especially Itachi. I mean, pink hair on a girl isn't that bad, but on a boy? No."

Her uncle nodded. There was a knock on the door and Naruto entered.

"You sent everyone to bed, Mikoto?" he asked. She nodded. "You two seem to be getting on fine," he added. "I heard laughter which is why I came up. Itachi, it's time we went back to the tower. Technically, you are still a criminal, although not for much longer if I can help it."

Itachi nodded and rose. He followed Naruto to the door, where he turned and looked at Mikoto.

"You can keep that," he told her, referring to the photograph. She smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said. Silently her uncles left – one blood related, the other her father's best friend. She glanced down at her brother, looking so innocent as he slept. Some colour had come back into his face, although he was still much paler than normal. She played with his hair, sitting by him all night.

* * *

**There's chapter four. I've been doing a lot of updating my various fanfics recently – I'm proud of myself. Anyway... REVIEWS PLEASE! I don't care if it's a flame or one word review, just review PLEASE!**


	5. The First Exam

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

*** * ***

"_Thank you," she said. Silently_ _her uncles left – one blood related, the other her father's best friend. She glanced down at her brother, looking so innocent as he slept. Some colour had come back into his face, although he was still much paler than normal. She played with his hair, sitting by him all night._

Chapter 5 – The First Exam

A week later, Itachi was sitting, eating his breakfast with his family – or rather, his family was eating breakfast while he just picked at his food.

"You need to eat," Mikoto told him. He shrugged and continued to pick at his toast. His sister sighed, exasperated. She grabbed his toast. He looked at her quizzically.

"Open up," she commanded. He glared at her.

"No... mmfff!" he said as the jammed the slice of toast into his mouth. His family laughed at him as he glared at his older sister. Angrily, he chewed the food in his mouth and swallowed.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"If you don't eat you'll run out of energy and fail," his sister told him.

"OK, OK, I get it!" he said, biting some more off the slice. "I have to eat." Tani nodded patronisingly.

"That's right. We can't have you failing." The adults just hid smirks at the youngsters' behaviour.

"You're evil," Itachi muttered, munching on his second slice of toast. Once he had finished that, Mikoto pushed a yoghurt in front of him.

"Eat," she commanded. He sighed and did so, having no wish to be force-fed.

"The exam's just like the Chuunin exam, although it's a lot harder," his uncle said (he had moved in with them two days after returning to the village). Itachi glared at him.

"Thanks for the confidence boost," he muttered sulkily. His uncle laughed.

"You're welcome. But, seriously, these exams are no joke. Watch out for traps that the proctors set – let down your guard for a moment and you've failed, there's that many traps. Only the best pass, and by the best I mean about one or two," he lectured his nephew, who scowled.

"Anything that I should be aware of besides traps?" he asked.

"As far as combat or anything else goes, there's no rules. It's quite common for teams to try and bump off each other while the proctors' backs are turned." Itachi nodded. There was a knock on the front door. Mikoto answered it.

"The time's changed," Suigetsu said, stepping right past her. "It starts in fifteen minutes." Itachi stood up and grabbed his equipment.

"Basically, it's already started. Has the meeting point changed?" he asked. Suigetsu shook his head.

His teammates were waiting outside when Itachi left his house to a chorus of 'good luck – you'll need it'.

"Let's go carefully," Itachi said. "You don't know how many traps there are waiting for us." His teammates nodded as he activated his Sharingan. Suigetsu watched his squad go, proud that they'd worked out that the exam had already started.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Sasuke asked, standing beside him.

"Oh, I should think so, as long as they keep their guard up all the time. There are more traps than ever this year – I swear, these exams get tougher and tougher."

* * *

"Watch out!" Itachi said. "Hanabi – stay still!" She obeyed without question. Itachi surveyed the area around her with his Sharingan. "Two paces to the left – slowly." She did so. Kisame had frozen as well, having no wish to be caught in a trap because Itachi was getting Hanabi away from the one that she had been about to trigger. "Two more," Itachi told her. "Now jump towards me." She leaped and he caught her.

"That was close, Ita-kun!" she said. "Thanks." Itachi merely nodded before surveying the ground in front of him. He frowned and looked at the trees.

"Jump up to that tree," he whispered, discreetly pointing towards a tall oak. Hanabi and Kisame leaped simultaneously, with Itachi following a moment later. He ran up past them and they followed, until they were hidden in a thick canopy of leaves.

"Are there any candidates around?" a voice asked from below them. Peering down, Itachi could see Karin and a Jounin that he didn't recognise. Hanabi's eyes widened when she saw her mother and she quickly performed some Seals. They were familiar to both her teammates – she was hiding their Chakra signals. She was so good at it that even her mother couldn't sense her when she did it.

"No," Karin replied a moment later in response to her partner's question. Itachi watched with his Sharingan as they picked their way through the web of traps. He waited until Hanabi signalled that she couldn't sense their Chakras. Using his Sharingan, he tracked Karin and her partner's steps and successfully avoided all the traps. Once the trio had navigated all the traps, they emerged into a clearing – the meeting place. Itachi looked around for anyone that he knew.

"Itachi!" someone called. He turned in the direction of the voice and saw his best friend, Nara Hiroshi. He was with his squad, Hyuuga Hidé and Shirasei Deidara. He nodded in recognition and looked round to see if he recognised anyone else. A wolfish boy glared at him but he ignored him. He saw Ryu Isas, Mikoto's boyfriend, with his teammates Nara Kei and Uzumaki Kaname. Because there were so many kunoichi in their age group, the squads were generally two kunoichi to one shinobi instead of the usual two shinobi to one kunoichi. Kaname's younger sister, Uzumaki Aiko, was also there with her squad mates, Kai Jun and Tsukiko Hanabusa, Kisame's twin.

"OK, listen up!" a Jounin shouted from the front. A big, white dog barked, just to ensure total silence. His rider introduced himself to the Chunnin in front of him.

"I'm Inuzuka Kiba, and this is Akamaru. We are your examiners for the first test!" he shouted. There was some muttering as some people who didn't know the dog and his ninja partner debated about how a dog could be an examiner. Itachi's Sharingan picked up some movement as a small group of Jounin advanced towards the distracted ninja. It was brutal, but quick. The Jounin had surprise on their side so the distracted Chuunin didn't stand a chance – they were maimed and some even looked like they could be dead. Itachi signalled to his squad to be on full alert, anticipating an attack while that fight was distracting many other ninja. His teammates nodded and watched the fighting, while keeping their senses on full alert. One Jounin ventured towards them, but a glare from Itachi told him that he hadn't gone unnoticed so he went elsewhere. Five minutes later a third of the candidates had been eliminated.

"Now that we've weeded out the idiots," Kiba said cheerfully, "we can start the first test. I'm not going to bother with deception – you've all taken the Chuunin exam so you all know that the aim is to cheat and not get caught. Well, there are your desks -" he pointed towards some stumps "- everyone pick a number and that is where you'll sit."

The Chuunin did so and soon everyone was seated and ready for the exam.

"Begin!" Kiba shouted. "Oh, and if you're caught cheating three times the whole squad fails."

Itachi used his Sharingan to see who had all the answers. He found someone. He used his kekkei genkai to read the movement of the man's pen. He released a slight burst of Chakra – just enough to get Hanabi's attention – before starting to write, releasing a steady stream of Chakra so that Hanabi could copy him. Once he had finished, he sat back and put his pen down. He shut his eyes and soon felt the invading presence of Kisame – whose ability was similar to that of the Yamanaka clan's mind transfer techniques – in his mind. His teammate read his answers and Itachi was aware of him writing them down. It didn't take long and soon Itachi was in control of his actions again. There was a scream behind him as a Cloud Chuunin was knocked out by the invisible Jounins surrounding them. The ninja's teammates were also knocked out in quick succession. Itachi tensed, the warning from his uncle ringing in his mind: "let down your guard for a second and you've failed". _Of course,_ he thought. _Now would be a perfect time to attack as we're all distracted by these hard questions – it probably won't be long before a few kunai or something are launched. And because the only Jounin we can see are Kiba and Akamaru, we won't know where the attacks are coming from._ He looked at his arms, where Mikoto's gifts were concealed. _I'm going to need these soon – there's no way we can dodge because we're so close together and we might also be accused of cheating if we knock someone. This is a lot tougher than the Chuunin exams – and this is only the written one. What are the others going to be like? _Just as he came to that realisation, Karin, lurking in the trees nearby, looked at her watch. Halfway through the test – time to spice things up a bit. She looked at Itachi and grinned.

_He looks rather laid back,_ she thought to herself smugly. _I think I'll teach him not to let his guard down like that when surrounded by enemies. _She threw numerous kunai at him. Looking around, she saw that various other Jounin had aimed for Sasuke's son. _Poor kid,_ she thought. _Never mind, he'll just have to learn the hard way._

Itachi turned his head slightly and saw that there were numerous kunai headed for him. _So it's started,_ he thought grimly. He raised his arms and the kunai embedded themselves in the cloth. To a casual onlooker, it would have appeared that they were puncturing his flesh, but the long sleeves that he wore concealed the hand-sewn arm guards that Mikoto had once made for him. They saved him from taking the hits from the many kunai. He could almost sense the shock of the concealed Jounin as he stopped all the weapons. There were several screams, mainly from girls that had seen him hit.

"Silence!" Kiba shouted, looking at the Uchiha who had so calmly reacted to the attack. _Like father, like son,_ he thought. _Sasuke was just as good. Pretending to lower his guard, very clever._ He watched as Itachi extracted the kunai. _And now he knows where the Jounin are hiding. Wait a minute – what's he got under those sleeves of his? There wasn't a drop of blood. He really is an interesting kid, Itachi._

As Itachi removed the kunai he considered his options. He could either keep the kunai, or he could throw them back at the Jounin, now that he knew where they were. He decided to throw one kunai in the direction of each Jounin and keep the rest.

Karin cursed as she saw Itachi pocket most of the kunai that she and the others had thrown. The few that he kept in his hands, he held strategically, perfect for throwing in multiple directions. It didn't take a genius to work out what he was about to do. Sure enough, he threw the kunai, one towards each Jounin that had targeted him. That included her. Quickly, she cancelled it out with a spare kunai, just like her fellow Jounin. _You're good, Itachi,_ she thought, _just like your father. You'll go far – no doubt about that!_

Hanabi had seen the kunai targeting her teammate. He caught them in his arms but no blood seeped out. The she remembered the armguards that she'd seen him wearing sometimes. _Of course, he must be wearing them._ She already knew where all the Jounin were – she'd sensed all their Chakras at the beginning of the exam. She could see that Itachi knew where they were as well as he had very kindly returned their kunai... she smirked. _That's just like him,_ she thought. _Return some of their weapons but keep most of them for himself._ She knew that her mother had been one of those Jounins.

Hiroshi grinned as his best friend acted as though the attack was nothing. He knew that Itachi had finished, and was unperturbed by the attack that had shocked everyone else. _Of course, you were expecting it, weren't you, Itachi?_ he realised. He looked round at Itachi's teammates; they weren't surprised either, but then again, they were a well oiled team.

Mikoto watched from her vantage point. _Nice to see he's putting my gifts to good use,_ she thought. _After what Uncle said, I'm not surprised that he acted like he did. After all, he is a genius._

Kisame grinned. Like Hanabi and Hiroshi, he knew that Itachi had some arm guards, though he didn't know how he had got them – they looked unique, handmade even. _Probably from Mikoto,_ he realised. _After all, there's no way that Itachi can sew that well._ He chuckled inwardly, and then twisted to avoid a hail of kunai that was aimed at him. They thudded into his desk. _I don't let down my guard that easily, _he thought scornfully before throwing them back.

Itachi was looking round suspiciously. So far, only one team had been disqualified. _There must be more to this test,_ he thought, Sharingan searching for the next threat. _After all, we did this in the Chuunin exam. This is just a cover for the real test – but what is it? We're tightly packed... a bad position for an all out attack... all out attack! That's it! Just when we think that we've finished, and letting our guard down, these Jounin hidden in the trees are perfectly positioned to attack us._

"Five minutes!" Kiba called out, although just about everyone was finished. Itachi drew a kunai.

Hanabi watched him and saw the movement. Unquestioning, she copied him.

Kisame too was watching his teammates. When he saw first Itachi, then Hanabi, draw kunai, he followed suit. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he trusted his teammates' instincts. Hanabi glanced at him. Instantly he merged his mind with hers.

"_What is it?"_ he asked her.

"_The Jounin are completely surrounding us – there's no escape," s_he replied. He was confused.

"_What's going on?"_ he asked.

"_Something's about to happen – Ita-kun can sense it..."_

Kisame cut her off. _"Wait a minute..."_ He stretched his mind so that it connected Itachi as well. The three of them were then telepathically connected. _"What's going on, Itachi?"_ he asked his squad mate.

"_Once the written exam is over, the Jounin around us are perfectly positioned for an all out attack."_

"_How did you figure that out?"_ Kisame asked.

"_This test... it's too easy. They know we can cheat without getting caught – what they're really after is to find out how many of us can react well to an attack in these unexpected conditions," _their teammate explained.

"_I get it,"_ the other two said before Kisame severed the connection. If Itachi was right, he wanted to conserve Chakra.

Karin watched the team carefully. _They've figured it out,_ she thought. _And they all know because Kisame connected their minds as only he and Hanabusa can do._

* * *

**There seems to be a little bit of confusion for you, my dear readers. Because I love you so much, I will explain:**

**Hanabi is **_**not**_** Hinata's younger sister – she is Suigetsu and Karin's daughter and just happens to have the same name. (Hōzuki Hanabi)**

**Kisame is **_**not**_** Hoshigaki Kisame but an orphan that shares the same name. He has a twin, Hanabusa and they both have Mind Transfer abilities, although there is a difference to the Yamanaka clan's ability (this will be explained in later chapters). (Tsukiko Kisame)**

**Mikoto is, as you have probably worked out but I'm making this very clear, is **_**not**_** Sasuke's mum, but his eldest daughter that was named after her. (Uchiha Mikoto)**

**Itachi... well, they're both in here so I'm afraid you'll have to figure out which one's which but I do try to make it easy to distinguish. (Uchiha Itachi)**

**Here's some background info on some other OCs that **_**I**_** created that are related to existing Naruto characters:**

**Tani is Sasuke and Sakura's youngest daughter (12). (Uchiha Tani)**

**Kei is Shikamaru and Ino's daughter (18). (Nara Kei)**

**Hiroshi is Shikamaru and Ino's son (16). (Nara Hiroshi)**

**Hidé is Neji and Tenten's daughter (16). (Hyuuga Hidé)**

**Kaname is Naruto and Hinata's eldest daughter (18). (Uzumaki Kaname)**

**Aiko is Naruto and Hinata's youngest daughter (16). (Uzumaki Aiko)**

**If you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer so don't keep them to yourself... chances are, someone else thinks the same as you!**

**Anyway... the important stuff...**

**REVIEW PLEASE! I don't care what you say, flame it or praise it, I don't care.**


	6. The Second Exam

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

*** * ***

"I get it,"_ the other two said before Kisame severed the connection. If Itachi was right, he wanted to conserve Chakra._

_Karin watched the team carefully. _They've figured it out,_ she thought. _And they all know because Kisame connected their minds as only he and Hanabusa can do.

Chapter 6 – The Second Exam

"One minute!" Kiba called out. Itachi, Kisame and Hanabi tensed. "OK... Time's up!" Before he had even finished his sentence the hidden Jounin had attacked with frightening speed. Itachi and his teammates reacted with equal speed, grouping together in a strategical position. Hiroshi's team reacted almost as fast, as did Kei's. Both of them had inherited their father's intelligence, so they'd figured it out, too. Most of the other teams grouped together within fifteen seconds – those that didn't fell victim to the attacking Jounin. Itachi saw his older sister amongst the Jounin and smiled grimly. He knew her strengths and weaknesses. He was tempted to challenge her, but resisted the urge – that would be suicide. He needn't have worried. She made her way towards him, along with Karin. Hanabi took on her mother, while Itachi took on his elder sister. Her Sharingan was no match for his, however, and she soon backed off, choosing easier prey. It was the same with Hanabi – she managed to drive away her mother. Kisame had been guarding their backs. All three were barely breathing hard – they had incredible stamina. Kiba was overseeing the fight.

"Suna, squad 2 – you fail! Iwa, squad 5 – fail! Suna, squad 1 – fail!" he shouted as teams failed to meet his expectations. "Konoha 3 – fail! Ame 4 – fail! Kumo 6 – fail! Kusa 1 – fail! Taki 2 – fail!" Soon he began to pass squads as well. "Konoha 2 – pass!" Itachi sighed in relief, but didn't let down his guard. "Suna 5 – fail! Kumo 2 – pass! Konoha 1 – pass! Taki 1 – fail! Suna 3 – pass! Kumo 1 – fail!" Eventually, there were twenty teams left. Seven from Konohagakure, four from Sunagakure, three from Kumogakure, two from Kirigakure, one from Takigakure, one from Iwagakure, one from Amegakure and one from Yami. Kiba looked at them all in surprise.

"I never thought that so many of you would still be here," he admitted. "Well done!" Akamaru barked in agreement. "Now, because we're so very kind, we're going to give you five minutes to recover before your next exam." No-one complained, even though it was outrageous. The Jounin were too harsh to even consider lengthening the time.

"Are you injured, Ita-kun?" Hanabi asked. He shook his head. "Kisame?" He too shook his head. "Good."

Itachi grinned.

"So, what twists are they going to hit us with this time?" he wondered out loud, lying back on the grass, keeping his Sharingan activated. His teammates shrugged.

"We'll probably be in the Forest of Death again," Kisame reasoned. "After all, it is the most dangerous training ground." Itachi nodded.

"If we have to sleep out there, I think that two of us should always be on watch," he said. "After all, these guys aren't going to be pushovers." Hanabi and Kisame nodded in agreement.

"That sounds sensible," Kisame commented. "I guess you're right, as usual." Just then, the wolf-like boy from earlier sauntered over to them.

"Uchiha Itachi - am I right?" he asked. Itachi nodded warily. "I am Ookami Kurai." Itachi gazed at him emotionlessly, taking in the Yami ninja's amber eyes and wolf grey hair. _What does he want? _he wondered suspiciously.

Meanwhile, Kurai was inspecting Itachi, taking in the Sharingan and his shoulder length raven hair. _Why do I think he's popular with the girls? _Before either of them could say anything more, Kiba shouted.

"OK! Resting time's over, follow us!" He and Akamaru led the way to... the 44th battle training zone, AKA the Forest of Death.

"You guys have all seen this place before, so I don't need to describe the terrain," Tenten said, stepping up. "The rules are the same as the Chuunin exam – there are none extra. You'll each be given either an Earth scroll or a Heaven scroll and you've got to complete the set," she continued. The Chuunin all nodded. They remembered the rules – or rather, lack of rules. "Alright then, pick a gate and let's get ready!" The teams did so and were soon standing at different gates. Itachi's team was gate sixteen.

"You get an Earth scroll," the Jounin at the gate told them, handing the blue scroll to Itachi, who pocketed it without a word.

"Strike during the day, rest at night," he then murmured to his teammates, who nodded.

"Your five days starts now!" the examiners said in unison, opening the gates. Slowly, Itachi's team entered the twenty kilometre area.

"Let's find somewhere to set up camp," Kisame suggested. "If we avoid moving around too much and wait for them to come to us then we save energy." His teammates nodded in agreement and they set off to find the stream. They found it with little difficulty and sat up camp a short distance away from it. Sitting down in a circle, facing outwards, the team stayed silent, not doing anything that might alert enemies to their position.

They remained unmoving for hours, determined not to be noticed, only very occasionally stretching so that they didn't cramp up. Eventually, night set in and they had a short debate about who would sleep first.

"You're constantly using Chakra," Hanabi said to Itachi. "You should get some sleep before you're completely drained. We'll wake you in three hours." She wouldn't take no for an answer so Itachi lay down and quickly fell asleep.

"Itachi's so lucky," Kisame said, glancing at their sleeping comrade. "He can sleep anywhere, anytime."

Hanabi nodded.

"I know. That's why I made him get some sleep first. Not only is he lowest on Chakra at the moment, he can recuperate quickly as he falls asleep quickly."

Kisame smiled.

"I knew there was logic to your argument, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten your way just know – but let's be quiet, we're supposed to be lookouts."

Hanabi nodded and fell silent, watching and staying alert for anyone who might have been approaching. Her hours of watch passed without incident and she shook Itachi awake at the designated time. He got up quickly and activated his Sharingan. Once she was satisfied that he was awake, she lay down and quickly fell asleep. Kisame glanced at Itachi, noticing that the watch had changed and that Itachi was on full alert. Suddenly, they both tensed as someone approached and shook awake their female teammate. She scowled, but when she saw that her teammates were tensed up, she tracked down the intruders' Chakra signals. Her eyes widened and her teammates looked at her inquiringly. She held up three fingers – there were three of them, then interlaced her fingers – their private signal for Jounin. Itachi smiled grimly. _So this is the twist,_ he thought. _There's some Jounin in here and they attack us while we're sleeping._ The three Jounin suddenly appeared with a hail of kunai, which the three Chuunin dodged or blocked with ease. Looking at their assailants, it wasn't hard to recognise them. The large, ginger-haired one was Juugo, the red-haired kunoichi was Karin and the silver-haired Jounin was none other than their perverted sensei. They'd been ambushed by arguably the most dangerous team – the widely renowned and feared 'Sound Squad', so named because they originally hailed from Otogakure. The only team that were as renowned as them were 'Team Seven' because all its members had been trained by a member of the legendary Sannin, of which only Lady Tsunade was still alive.

"You anticipated us," Suigetsu commented. Itachi chuckled.

"No, our strategy was a precaution against the other Chuunin that might try to attack us while we slept. I had no idea they would send Jounin after us," he admitted. "We only noticed you because you made as much noise as a herd of elephants."

Karin glared.

"As impudent as ever, I see," she said. "You are **so** like your father." It was Itachi's turn to glare.

_Now where have I heard that before? _he wondered. _Only from everyone I meet who knows Dad,_ he realised, annoyed. Was he really so similar to his father? He scowled.

"Are you going to attack? Or are we going to stand around chatting?" he asked coolly.

"Eager, aren't we?" his sensei asked.

"Not really, I just know that that's what you came to do," Itachi replied.

"Fine," Karin said. Hanabi started to form seals, and a split second later her mother formed similar handsigns. Itachi sighed before forming some seals of his own. It didn't help that his sensei knew most if his jutsu – but then again, it was the same in reverse as well. Drawing his Katana, he held it at the ready. Once his Chakra had built up to the required level, he channelled it along his blade in a technique that his father had shown him recently. Suigetsu grinned and drew his Executioner's Blade.

"Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidorigatana, huh?" he said over the telltale sound of birds chirping. Inwardly, he was seething. _Damn it, my blade can't stop an attack from Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidorigatana – I don't recall him ever using that before, he must have mastered it recently._ Dropping his blade, the water ninja made a series of handsigns, all of which Itachi read and recognised.

"Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu!" A pool of water appeared and a shark emerged, diving at the young Uchiha.

"Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!" his daughter shouted, forming the final handsign in the technique. A massive wall of earth formed in front of Itachi, absorbing the attack. Similar defences protected Kisame and Hanabi, buying them some time. "We don't have long, Ita-kun! Kisame!" she shouted. "Mum's doing a counter attack!" Kisame grinned and formed handseals of his own.

"Shintenshin no Jutsu!" he said, aiming towards Juugo. His mind slipped into the giant and he promptly took control of his actions. Firstly, he threw a kunai at Karin, forcing her to stop her counter measure. Then, gritting his teeth, he drew a kunai along Juugo's throat. The wound wasn't deep enough to kill, but it successfully immobilised the Jounin. His mind slipped back into its own body, unharmed. That was his unique ability. He could slip his mind into an opponent and take control of their actions, but because his soul stayed where it was, whatever happened to the host's body didn't affect him, so it was a perfect assassination technique (unlike the Yamanaka clan, he didn't slip his SOUL into a person, just his mind). He regained control of his body just before Karin countered her daughter's defences. Before Itachi could react, Suigetsu slashed at him with his massive blade. Itachi cursed and jumped out the way, striking with his katana as he did so. Karin threw some kunai at him, which he caught on his arm guards. He sent a Chidori Current her way, which temporarily paralysed her. With a kick he knocked her out. Then there was just his sensei left. He swung his Chidori Sword, which darted around Suigetsu's larger and clumsier sword to strike his sensei's sword arm. Suigetsu cursed as his arm went numb and he dropped his blade. He was defenceless and they all knew it. Because Itachi had injured his arm, he couldn't make handsigns or use effective taijutsu. It was Hanabi who struck the final blow, showering him with miniature versions of Doton: Doryō Dango and rendering him unconscious. Something white caught Itachi's attention and he extracted a scroll from Juugo's pocket. It was a Heaven Scroll.

"I see," he said.

"What?" Kisame asked. Itachi showed him the scroll.

"All the candidates have been given Earth Scrolls – and the various Jounin that are in the forest have Heaven Scrolls, so we'll fight each other and cut down our numbers when really the people we ought to be attacking are the Jounin. Very clever. Almost no-one would be able to figure that out," Itachi explained.

"Tell us that later. We weren't exactly quiet just now – everyone's going to be headed this way," Hanabi said. "The best thing for us to do is get to the tower quickly before we get attacked. Besides, we don't want to be here when these three wake up."

"You're right," Itachi realised. "We have to get to safety and fast – but who can say that the tower's safe? This is a Jounin exam, remember, not a Chuunin. My uncle told me that we must never let down our guard, or we'll be caught out. I think we should go to the tower, but not enter it, and then decide what to do next." His teammates nodded in agreement and they set off, keeping a careful eye out for traps.

"Itachi!" Hanabi whispered suddenly. "There's a pair of squads up ahead." Itachi thought for a moment.

"Let's go and see what they're up to – if they fight then we'll be able to see their style in case we have to fight them later," he whispered. The other two nodded and they carefully made their way to where the two teams were. When they got close enough, they stopped and looked at the two opposing teams. One was from Suna, the other, Taki.

"Surrender your scroll or die!" a Taki ninja said. He was met with glares.

"How about, I kill you and we take your scroll?" a small, redhead Suna ninja asked. He had a gourd on his back. The Taki ninja scoffed and attacked. A stream of sand blocked the strangely shaped kunai. The other Suna ninjas grinned.

"You made a big mistake when you challenged Mamoru," the other shinobi on the team told the Taki ninja. They scoffed.

"Yeah right, go home to your mummy," one said rudely.

"My _mummy_ is _dead_," the Suna shinobi retorted.

"Cool it, Taro," the Suna kunoichi said, glaring at the opposing shinobi.

"Whatever, Usagi," he replied. The kunoichi scowled at him.

"Let Mamoru deal with them. They got on his nerves so they're going to pay. Well, we warned them," she said. The redhead, Mamoru, smiled cruelly.

"Time to die," he said. The surrounding sand rushed towards the unfortunate Taki ninja. "Sabaku Kyū!" The sand smothered the three of them, killing them instantly. "Taro, Usagi, there are others nearby," the sand-wielder said. Itachi signalled for his team to back up. They did so and were soon running towards the tower.

* * *

**There is so much déjà vu in this chapter. Sorry. There's more coming up in future chapters as well. Oh well. **

**I am now going to update these on a Saturday (but I can't do next Saturday or the one after that so I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit.**

**Reviews please! Flames, one words, I don't care.**


	7. Eighteen Left

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

*** * ***

"_Time to die," he said. The surrounding sand rushed towards the unfortunate Taki ninja. "Sabaku Kyū!" The sand smothered the three of them, killing them instantly. "Taro, Usagi, there are others nearby," the sand-wielder said. Itachi signalled for his team to back up. They did so and were soon running towards the tower._

Chapter 7 – Eighteen Left

"What did you think of them?" Kisame asked Itachi.

"They're all strong," he said. "That sand guy – to overpower those guys like it was nothing. And did you see the fan that that kunoichi had? I'm betting that's not for show. The other guy had a puppet on his back. Puppet Masters are always strong." Hanabi nodded in agreement.

"They all had high Chakra levels – almost as high as ours," she commented.

"That sand guy killed with no hesitation. That's what concerned me," Kisame admitted. "I mean, I can't think of _anyone_ who can kill that calmly, with no emotion showing."

"You're forgetting Dad," Hanabi pointed out.

"He's not emotionless when he kills – he's usually crazy," Itachi intervened.

The tower came into view. _"There it is,"_ they all thought. _"Now we need to be careful."_ None of them said a word. They didn't need to. All of them instinctively knew that the others knew to be careful. All on full alert, they proceeded in silence, keeping an eye out for any traps. To their surprise, they were not met with any challenges. Finally, they arrived at the tower where the three of them consulted about what they would do.

"We're going to have to in," Hanabi said. Itachi and Kisame nodded.

"Is there anybody in there?" Itachi asked her. She concentrated for a few seconds.

"No. Whatever threat we might face will occur when we open the scrolls," she told him. He nodded.

"I thought as much. They wouldn't be stupid enough to try and attack us as soon as we enter the tower, when we'll still be on our guard. However, there's no harm in being prepared," he added, drawing several kunai. Both his teammates followed suit. They carefully pushed the door open and leapt inside, Itachi's Sharingan blazing as he prepared for an ambush. As they had expected, no-one tried to kill them so the two boys took the scrolls out of their pockets and held them, ready to open. Itachi nodded and they quickly opened the scrolls and threw them as far away as they could, keeping their backs to the wall. There was a cloud of smoke and Sasuke appeared. He laughed when he saw their stances.

"Relax. You've passed the second exam," he told them. They relaxed slightly, still keeping a firm grip on their weapons. He sighed, exasperated, and checked his watch.

"You managed it quickly," he commented. Itachi shrugged.

"So what if we did? What's the catch?"

His father shrugged.

"What catch? Oh, you mean you're expecting to be attacked or something... There isn't one. But you do have to wait until four more teams arrive – or the time limit runs out. You see, we only allow a maximum of six teams to pass this test, and you're the second team to arrive." Itachi shrugged again. Sasuke looked at him and saw that his Sharingan was still activated.

"Has your Sharingan been activated the whole time?" he asked, amused. Itachi nodded.

"Apart from when I got a nap in the last test," he said. Sasuke shook his head in disbelief.

"You're paranoid," he commented.

"You would be too if you just saw someone kill without batting an eyelid. Actually, he killed three," Itachi retorted. Sasuke was curious.

"What was he like?" he asked.

"Small. Had red hair. Wore a gourd on his back. His name was Mamoru. His teammates were called Taro and Usagi."

Sasuke laughed.

"I didn't realise they were taking part this year," he said. "I know their parents." Itachi looked at his father in surprise, but before he could ask any more questions, Sasuke had disappeared. He glared at where his father had stood.

"I guess we just stay here until the other teams turn up – or the time limit is up," he sighed. "Great. You two get some sleep – you must be exhausted. I'll keep watch." His teammates didn't argue, they just lay down to sleep.

"Hey," a teenager said, entering Itachi's field of view. "You've passed this too, huh?" Itachi merely nodded. "You're even more paranoid than before – if that's possible," his best friend commented. "Just relax, will you?" Itachi shrugged, then jumped as Hidé hugged him.

"We've both passed the second exam, so let's team up," she reasoned. Itachi sighed.

"Fine," he said. "But I'm staying on watch."

"Well then, I'll stay on watch with you," Hiroshi said. Itachi shrugged – _again_ – and gestured for him to sit down.

"What do you think of the exam so far?" he asked.

"He speaks! Honestly, it's a drag. Basically, it's just an advanced version of the Chuunin exam. I don't think that they'll add a twist to the last exam – except maybe not telling us who we're going to fight until the time – because, really, there isn't anything that they can do," Hiroshi answered.

"That's what I thought," Itachi said. "Everyone that makes it through this far is highly talented and so it promises to be a lot harder that the Chuunin exams were."

"Is this a private gathering – or can anyone join in?" Isas asked, standing in front of his girlfriend's only brother. His teammates stood behind him.

"You guys made it too?" Hiroshi asked.

"Obviously," his sister retorted.

"So out of a possible six teams, at least three of them are Konoha," Itachi said. "Interesting. The Taki ninja are dead, so they won't have passed..."

"Genius," Kei muttered. He ignored her.

"I think it's safe to assume that one of the Suna squads has passed. That leaves two spaces."

"What Suna squad?" Hiroshi demanded.

"Their names are Mamoru, Taro and Usagi. Dad told me that he knows their parents. They killed the Taki ninja without a second thought. Those guys are big trouble," Itachi explained.

"Aiko's squad haven't turned up, but I bet they will," Kaname said. "So... Who's going to be the last squad – if there is one?" None of the others could answer her.

"Hey guys!" Aiko said, springing up.

"Talk of the devil..." her sister muttered, annoyed.

"That was close," Hanabusa said. "We're the sixth team. The Jounin that greeted us was really surprised that six squads have actually passed."

"So," said Hidé, sitting up. "Who're the other two squads?"

"There's a Suna squad and an Ame squad," Jun said. "I saw them just now."

"I suppose that means we have to go to the main hall to see the examiners," Hiroshi said. "What a drag."

"It is, rather," Deidara agreed. Itachi woke up his teammates.

"What... is the exam over already?" Hanabi groaned. She saw the other Konoha ninja.

"You guys all passed too?" Kisame asked, looking at his twin. Their amethyst eyes clashed.

"Let's go," Isas said. They all stood and followed him to the main hall. As they all entered the hall, they saw that the other two squads were already lined up. Following suit, they too lined up. Itachi looked around at his competition – i.e. the other seventeen ninja there.

Starting with his own squad, there was Hōzuki Hanabi, a powerful kunoichi in her own right. He could see her silver hair shimmering in the light and her crimson eyes flashing dangerously. She was enjoying the exam, he knew. Sometimes her parents' thirst for blood shone through in her actions.

Then there was Tsukiko Kisame. He could manipulate his opponent's minds and damage their body without suffering harm to himself. He watched as the amethyst-eyed teen shook his long, black hair.

Nara Hiroshi was a master of the Kagemane no Jutsu and the Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu. He'd also inherited his mother's Shintenshin no Jutsu, but often claimed that it was a drag to use. His spiky 'pineapple' hair was dark brown, while his eyes were pastel blue.

Hyuuga Hidé. A weapons mistress like her mother, she had the famed Kekkei Genkai 'Byakugan', which she used skilfully. Her long brown hair was tied up in buns just like her mother's. Like all Hyuugas, she had opal eyes.

Shirasei Deidara. An unusual teen that was talented in genjutsu but not much else. His cedar green hair was cut short and his eyes were white, which was unnerving. Heck, they still gave Itachi the creeps, even though they'd been in the same class at the academy. I mean, even his pupils were white!

Uzumaki Aiko had her father's blonde hair, although it didn't spike up. Her eyes were pearly like her mother's and even though she wasn't a Hyuuga, she still had their Kekkei Genkai. She was good at Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and had a powerful amount of Chakra.

Kai Jun was also an unnerving person. He was dark – black hair, black eyes and dark brown skin, a rarity in the shinobi villages – or anywhere for that matter.

Tsukiko Hanabusa was identical to his twin, Kisame, with the same talents. The two orphans were not from Konoha, but no-one knew where they were from.

Ryu Isas. He was a powerful shinobi, although he had one weakness – pretty girls. He was faithful to his girlfriend, but had a habit of reading those books that Itachi hated so much. His ninjustu was excellent, but his other skills – especially taijutsu – were a bit shaky. His blonde hair and bright blue eyes deceived many people into thinking that he was related to Naruto, but he wasn't as far as Itachi knew.

Uzumaki Kaname. Her dark violet hair fell to her waist and she too had inherited the 'Byakugan'. A master of the Jūken art, she was a dangerous kunoichi – and identical to her mother.

Nara Kei's main techniques were, undoubtedly, the Shin no jutsu she had inherited from her mother. She was a strategist like her father, having inherited his intelligence. Really, she just looked like a younger version of her mother. That was all his allies, so he turned his attention to the foreign shinobi. The three Suna shinobi first.

Mamoru. He controlled sand and seemed to be able to do anything with it. His red hair and pastel blue eyes hinted at a formidable power. That gourd on his back wasn't just for show.

Taro. From what he had seen, he appeared to be a puppet master. Not good if he had to meet him in combat. He had purple face paint and a black hood so it was hard for Itachi to tell what he looked like.

Usagi. A kunoichi who didn't look like a pushover by any means. He didn't know what that fan of hers did but, like Mamoru's gourd, Itachi was sure that it wasn't just a pretty decoration. Her dark eyes, which kept changing colour, he noticed (navy, dark green, black... it seemed to be a cycle), were calculating and her dirty blonde hair was tied back in four plaits. A 'Killer Kunoichi', he concluded. Then he turned his attention to the Ame ninja. There were two shinobi and a kunoichi, which was rare for that village. He didn't know their names, but they all looked like trouble.

The tallest ninja had a senbon umbrella, used for Joro Senbon, he assumed. His black hair and white eyes looked very unnerving.

The other male on the team was tiny – but looks could be deceptive, as Itachi knew – just look at Tani. He didn't have any obvious weapons, but there were bound to be some, even if he was a genjutsu or taijutsu specialist. The latter was unlikely, as taijutsu specialists were rare in Amegakure as they favoured genjutsu. The small ninja had green hair and dark blue eyes.

The kunoichi looked very feminine, a classic kunoichi like his mother and Mikoto, Itachi realised. There was a silver thing in her pocket – it looked like a flute. _She must be a genjutsu type, typical of Amegakure,_ Itachi thought. He wouldn't mind fighting her. After all, his Sharingan helped him against most illusions, as did his mother's genes. The girl moved her head and Itachi saw her pure blue hair shimmer in the light before turning a bright green. Likewise, her eye colour was also changing, from pink to black... Itachi blinked furiously and looked away. Even then, waiting for her debriefing, she was casting genjutsu on the other competitors.

"Ahem!" Naruto said from the centre of the hall. "Congratulations for making it this far. There are more of you than we anticipated, but it's not really a problem. We're prepared to be dealing with the maximum number of candidates. I am sure that for the last few minutes you have all been sizing each other up, using both prior knowledge and what you have witnessed already during this exam, not to mention each other's outward appearances at the moment. Unlike the Chuunin exam, this number of candidates does not faze us as you will not be providing public entertainment, although the Kazekage will be attending. You will have one week from now in which to prepare and train although we will not be telling you who you will be fighting until the day – but first, is there anyone who would like to drop out?" He inspected the faces of the eighteen Chuunin before him. None of them showed any inclination of forfeiting. "No-one?" No-one raised their hands. "Very well – you are dismissed. But remember – this is one-on-one combat so you can't rely on your teammates. In fact, you may end up fighting them. As in the Chuunin exam, whether you win or not is irrelevant. It's how well you fight. OK, go get some rest, and training of course." The teams left, no-one talking. Once they were outside, the teams separated to discuss their opposition.

"What did you think of the Konoha and Suna brats, Koushi?" The Ame kunoichi asked. The well-built, black haired shinobi snorted.

"They're just a bunch of weaklings, Megumi," he said.

"Actually," the smaller shinobi said. "That Sharingan brat seems to be quite a challenge. Remember how he reacted in the first exam? All those kunai and he blocked them, cool as you please. I don't think we should take the Suna Chuunin lightly, either. They could be quite strong. After all, that redhead is the son of the Kazekage, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, Tadashi. We know not to underestimate the brats," Koushi said. Tadashi glared at him but said nothing.

"So, Mamoru, what did you think of our opponents?" Taro asked his cousin.

"That Uchiha kid... he's one to watch..." The redhead replied. "What did you think, Usagi?" The kunoichi sighed.

"The Uchiha kid is definitely someone to keep an eye on, but what about those Nara kids? Mum said that their Dad is a genius, so his kids probably are too."

"Those twins unnerved me," Taro confessed. "So did that creep with no pupils." His cousin scoffed.

"That's probably what his appearance is supposed to make you think," she said. "The chance that he actually looks like that is slim, but you're right about the twins – _they're _the ones that unnerve me. Identical twins... it's just not natural."

"There's a lot of Chuunin from Konoha with kekkei genkais," Mamoru commented. "That Sharingan kid, and all those with the Byakugan. Not to mention those Nara kids that I know have inherited their mother's Shin no jutsu." His cousins nodded.

"We might have to fight each other? What a drag," Hiroshi complained.

"Don't worry about it – if it gets too tough just forfeit," Deidara said. Hiroshi glared at him.

"I know that... it's just if I'm up against a guy like Itachi, I may not have the chance to forfeit before he wipes the floor with me," he complained.

"You're not that weak compared with Itachi," Hidé said. "I'm going to get some practise in. See you around!" Then she left.

"This is going to be such a drag," Hiroshi moaned before going to train. Deidara grinned before following suit.

"I don't like what Itachi told us about those Suna goons," Isas confessed. Kei nodded.

"He made them sound really strong – but they're not the ones I'm really worried about. Or have you forgotten how good a fighter Itachi is? I think the real threat lies in our own ranks, not in the ranks of the foreign shinobi," she said. Kaname nodded.

"Itachi probably made them sound really good so that we'd forget about his talent. He's the one person I really don't want to fight – but I'm not too happy with the idea of fighting one of the twins either. Those mind techniques of theirs... But, let's be realistic. No-one's going to be a pushover. Most of us Konoha shinobi have kekkei genkais or a similar ability like Hanabi has. We mustn't overlook the other kunoichi, either, often that's where a shinobi makes a fatal mistake – they underestimate us kunoichi purely because we're female."

Isas nodded.

"Mikoto keeps drumming it into me that girls aren't as weak as they seem. That's why she's ANBU and a highly skilled Jounin while I'm still a Chuunin." His teammates grinned.

"Let's go and start training, shall we?" Kei said. Her teammates nodded and they all went their separate ways.

"There's a lot of tough competition," Aiko commented to her two teammates. They nodded.

"They all look so strong." Jun said. "It's almost enough to make us lose our confidence... _almost._" Hanabusa nodded.

"And forget the ones we don't know. Itachi's trouble if we have to fight him," Kisame's twin commented, accompanied by vigorous nods. "He's the one I don't want to fight. And from what he said, I don't particularly want to fight those Suna ninja either. If they worry Itachi, they're _big_ trouble."

Jun scoffed.

"Don't forget that Itachi's paranoia has gone up a few notches during this exam – he may just be exaggerating."

Aiko glared.

"It's best to be pessimistic at times like these. That way, we don't get nasty surprises."

"Whatever."

"So, Ita-kun, who looks like trouble?" Hanabi asked.

"All the Suna ninja – and the Ame ninja I'm not sure about – they seemed to be hiding most of their weaponry," he said. Kisame grinned.

"Like you're hiding those armguards of yours?" he asked slyly. Itachi glared at him. "I've seen them a few times when we've been on overnight missions," he explained. "Where'd 'ya get them?" Itachi shrugged.

"Somewhere. Now stop talking about them. I don't want any eavesdroppers to learn about them."

Kisame huffed.

"We'd better start training," Hanabi said, interrupting them. "After all, they've only given us a week to prepare." Her teammates nodded before dispersing.

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**Chapter seven... done. Heh heh heh. They don't want to fight Itachi, do they? Anyway, reviews please! One words, flames, any queries – they're all fine.**


	8. Training

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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"_Somewhere. Now stop talking about them. I don't want any eavesdroppers to learn about them."_

_Kisame huffed._

"_We'd better start training," Hanabi said, interrupting them. "After all, they've only given us a week to prepare." Her teammates nodded before dispersing._

Chapter 8 – Training

Itachi walked home, ignoring all the annoying girls that were trying to flirt with him, and started to clean his equipment. He was running low on Chakra – a side effect of having his Sharingan activated for almost two days – so he needed to rest, but he had no intention of idling around while he waited for his Chakra to rejuvenate. Caring for his weapons was a good way to kill time productively. He drew his katana and started to sharpen it, making sure that it had a really fine edge. Once he was convinced that his sword's edge was as keen as he could get it, he turned his attention to his kunai – and the ones that he had gained during the first exam. They took a while to get up to his standard, but once he'd managed to get all 37 of them (yes, he counted) up to the harsh expectations that he had, he started on his shuriken.

"You're exhausted," Mikoto said from the doorway. "You should get some rest."

"What do you think I'm doing?" he asked her. "Do I look like I'm training?" She laughed.

"By 'rest' I meant sleep. You've been using your Sharingan almost constantly over the last two days, and despite your large amount of Chakra your body needs to rest and recover." He scowled at her, knowing that she was right but hating to admit it. She walked over to him and gently removed the shuriken from his hands. His glare didn't put her off; she grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet before directing him to his bed.

"Sleep," she ordered, forcing him to lie down. She needn't have bothered – he was asleep before his head touched the pillow. She shook her head at his stubbornness. He just didn't know when to call it a day – he kept on pushing himself harder and harder, ignoring his body's needs. It was a good thing that Mikoto was making sure that Itachi rested when he had to. She looked at his ninja gear, all lined up neatly on the floor, and sighed. He couldn't leave them out in the open like that – they might get stolen. She carefully tidied his weapons away so that they weren't in full view of anyone that walked in the room. Her uncle laughed from the doorway.

"Looking after him again?" he asked. She nodded.

"He's kept his Sharingan activated almost constantly over the last two days," she told him. "He's exhausted."

"And lucky to have such a caring sister," Itachi added, smiling at his niece. She blushed.

"He just doesn't take care of himself – he pushes himself too far," she said. "If I didn't look after him, he'd probably have died from exhaustion or something by now." Itachi laughed.

"Just like Sasuke. The number of times I had to force him to stop training because he was killing himself..." he trailed off. He didn't need to say anymore – his niece could read him like a book.

Below the window, Suigetsu sighed. Yes, he was eavesdropping. He'd heard Mikoto scold her brother before forcing him to go to sleep. He wasn't the only person, though. Both Mamoru no Sunagakure and Koushi no Amegakure were scouting around, trying to gather information on the Uchiha. The fact that he was careless surprised them, as well as the fact that his sister was a Jounin from the first exam. Sasuke snuck up behind the Suna ninja.

"Gathering information on my son, are you?" he asked. Mamoru span around, sand flying out of the gourd on his back.

"Uchiha... Sasuke..." the Suna shinobi said. Sasuke grinned.

"That's me. How's Gaara? I haven't seen him for a while." Mamoru glared at him.

"He's fine. He's coming to the final Jounin exam," he informed the Uchiha. Sasuke grinned.

"He is? This is going to be very much like déjà vu," he commented. The Suna ninja looked at him in confusion. "Oh don't mind me," Sasuke said, seeing the youngster's face. "Your father and I are old acquaintances, that's all." Mamoru glared and stalked off.

Meanwhile, Koushi had been collared by Sakura.

"There's no need to spy on my son," she said sternly. "Go and train." He glared at her but she just glared back so he beat a hasty retreat. He father, Oboro no Amegakure, had once told him about Konohagakure's team seven. The description of the female in that squad was remarkably like the fierce kunoichi in front of him. If that was her... she was trouble.

The other Suna ninja were awaiting Mamoru's return.

"Uchiha Sasuke started to talk to me," was all he said. Usagi, so like her mother, Temari, crossed her arms.

"What did you learn?" she demanded. Her cousin sighed.

"He has an older sister who is an ANBU – she was one of the Jounin at the first exam – and he's very careless. He pushes himself too hard. He's one of those shinobi that won't stop fighting until he passes out – or dies." Taro looked up in interest.

"Careless, is he? And an ANBU Black Op for a sister. Interesting. Not to mention that Uchiha Sasuke is his father..."

Koushi was facing a similar interrogation from his teammates, who were getting very similar answers.

"You got caught by his mum?" Megumi asked in disbelief. "What kind of shinobi are you?" Koushi sighed in annoyance.

"She looks like a kunoichi my father told me about once. If it's her, then she's big trouble," he explained not-so-patiently. Tadashi laughed.

"Never mind. We've still learnt some vital things about him, namely, he trains until he drops, or his sister makes him stop." His teammates sighed and nodded.

"You're right – it was worth the trouble." It was said in unison.

Sometime later, Itachi woke to find his sister still in his room.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked her.

"Someone's got to make sure you don't kill yourself training," she reasoned.

He glared at her and sat up.

"**If** you don't mind, I'm going to continue cleaning my weapons," he huffed. She grinned at him.

"Go ahead – if you can find them," she said wickedly. He looked around the room before glaring at his sister.

"What have you done with them?" he demanded.

"They're confiscated until tomorrow," she told him. "So go back to sleep." He glared at her in raw anger. "It wasn't my idea!" she defended herself hastily. "Uncle thought of it. It's late anyway. You may as well get a good night's sleep so that you're ready for a lot of training tomorrow." Itachi huffed and looked around for his pyjamas. He found them and looked meaningfully at his sister.

"Out." She got the message and stood outside the door.

"You've got thirty seconds!" she called through the door, using her Sharingan to track his movements through the door – just a precaution to make sure he didn't run off to do some extra training. It seemed that her brother had no such thoughts, however, as he hurriedly got changed, just managing it before his thirty seconds were up and his sister walked back into the room.

"Bed," she commanded. He didn't bother arguing – there was no way he could change her mind so he obeyed. It didn't take him long to fall back to sleep. Mikoto sat in a corner of his room and watched him sleep. She knew that some of the other competitors might get it into their heads to try and assassinate him while he slept – it was what she would have done – so she was going to stay guarding him all night. It wasn't against the rules of the exam – after all, there were no rules. Most of the night passed without incident, but once an Ame shinobi entered the room and padded over to her sleeping brother. She threw a kunai at the intruder, who looked at her in fear, taking in both the Sharingan blazing in her eyes and the ANBU tattoo on her upper right arm, and decided not to press his luck. Though he was bigger than the kunoichi, she outranked him so he decided not to risk it, retreating quickly.

"Well?" Megumi whispered as Koushi entered their hideout. He shook his head.

"His sister seems to have gotten it into her head to protect him while he sleeps. I'm bigger than her, but she's ANBU so I didn't like to push my luck."

"Isn't that against the rules?" the kunoichi demanded. Tadashi grinned.

"There are no rules, remember? She's perfectly eligible to do that if she wishes."

By the time dawn broke, all of the contestants were wide awake. Itachi wanted to go and train immediately, but Mikoto made him eat breakfast before allowing their uncle to return his weapons. Finally, he was permitted to go out to train. He made his way to the clan's special training spot and worked on his accuracy with the kunai knives. At about noon, Mikoto came to find him with a boxed lunch. Just as he finished eating it, Sasuke turned up.

"I'm guessing that you want to learn a new technique," he said disdainfully. Itachi looked at his father in confusion.

"A new technique?" he asked dubiously. His father nodded.

"It's called Kirin and it's really a last resort jutsu, but powerful for all that," he told his son. "First of all you need to use Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu – aim it at the sky... don't do it yet. It's not really something that you can practise, but it's relatively easy to do. The heat from the fireball will create storm clouds. Provided that you do the Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu early enough, it takes up very little Chakra, which is what makes it a useful jutsu." Itachi looked at his father, memorising everything that he was told.

"And there's your 'Ace in the Hole'," Sasuke said. "In case you ever need one." Itachi grinned at his father.

"Thanks, Dad," he said.

"Want to spar?" his father asked. Itachi nodded.

They both activated their Sharingan, but before they could start, a calm voice intervened.

"You two know each other's fighting style too well," Itachi said. "Let me spar with him." Sasuke looked at his son, who shrugged.

"Sure," he said. Sasuke stepped back and his brother took his place, Sharingan activated.

"Don't use your Mangekyo Sharingan," Sasuke reminded his older brother, who nodded. Neither moved – they were both waiting for the other to initiate the fight. The teen shifted his stance slightly and the older Uchiha attacked. He held some shuriken in his hand, in clear view of Itachi, who immediately sprang sideways, keeping his uncle's hands in full view the whole time. He didn't want to be surprised by a sneaky jutsu while he was evading the shuriken. The older man threw the shuriken, realising that Itachi wasn't fooled. Then, he did some handsigns that were as familiar to Itachi as the back of his hand:

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Itachi sprang out of the way and copied his uncle, even though he knew that it wouldn't work. He was right, and his uncle dodged to the side with terrifying speed. There was no way that Itachi could beat him with genjutsu, so he didn't try, and his chances of winning on ninjutsu looked to be slim, too. He didn't want to kill his uncle, so he didn't try out Kirin, although he was sorely tempted. He decided to resort to taijutsu. His uncle's speed had been terrifying to see, but it was nothing compared with his, 'copied' directly from Rock Lee. He ran around his uncle at those Chakra-enhanced speeds, so fast that his uncle's Sharingan had difficulty keeping up. Suddenly, he disappeared and the older Uchiha looked around for him. He saw the kick aimed at his jaw, but he couldn't move fast enough to evade it and so he was sent flying. Sasuke watched in amusement as his son used first the Kage Buyō, and then his own Shishi Rendan. The older man didn't stand a chance. He crashed down to earth at a frightening speed. Itachi landed, panting heavily, and surveyed the damage he had done. To his surprise, his uncle shakily stood up.

"I think you win," Sasuke said to his son. The older Uchiha nodded in agreement.

"It's been a long time since I've fought anyone and struggled so much," he told his nephew. Itachi's eyes widened in surprise. There was a laugh from behind Sasuke. Mikoto stood there, covering her smile with a hand.

"That was well fought," she complimented. "Even if it was over rather quickly. You're a pushover, Uncle," she scolded. Her uncle shrugged.

"I'm best at genjutsu and ninjutsu, but Sasuke wouldn't let me use my Mangekyo Sharingan. The fight would have lasted a lot longer if I'd been able to use that." Sasuke laughed.

"Don't kid yourself – Itachi was being nice and gentle while he sized you up. He didn't use any of his Chidori techniques – the only remotely high-ranked jutsu he used was the Kage Buyō combined with the Shishi Rendan," he commented. His brother sighed.

"OK! I get it! He's stronger than I am."

Sasuke grinned.

"That's enough training for today," Mikoto told Itachi. "Home time." Her brother glared at her, but she wasn't taking no for an answer. She grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the training field.

Unnoticed, Tadashi no Amegakure watched. He grinned triumphantly as the Uchiha family went home. Now he knew one of Itachi's techniques – but what was Chidori?

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**What is it with Ame ninja and eavesdropping? Anyway... Reviews please!! One word, flames, queries... I welcome them all.**


	9. Tadashi and the Twins

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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_Unnoticed, Tadashi no Amegakure watched. He grinned triumphantly as the Uchiha family went home. Now he knew one of Itachi's techniques – but what was Chidori?_

Chapter 9 – Tadashi and the Twins

One week later:

"Hurry up, Itachi, you'll be late!" Sakura shouted from the kitchen. Her son sighed and stood, grabbing his ninja tools.

"I'm off!" he called. "See you later!" _If I survive,_ he added silently.

"You'll do fine," Mikoto assured him as he walked towards the door.

"Have faith in your abilities," his uncle added. Itachi inclined his head in acknowledgement of their words before departing for the final exam. He was nervous – who would he have to fight? He shuddered as he remembered Mamoru. He was the one that he dreaded fighting the most, but if he had to, he wouldn't forfeit. He had a reputation to uphold.

"When he arrived at the arena, he suppressed a gasp. Naruto had lied when he'd said that it wasn't for the public. _Way to undermine our confidence,_ Itachi thought bitterly. _We weren't expecting an audience, so we're shaken up by the public that have come to watch – the whole of Konoha, by the looks of it._ He could see Tani in the stands – _how did she get here so fast?_ he wondered. His confidence came flooding back as he realised that his whole family were there – and they were supporting him all the way. They believed that he had what it took to be a Jounin. He grinned and took his place in the line of contestants, between Hanabi and Kisame.

"Don't forget to present yourselves to them," the third examiner, Aburame Shino the bug master, told them. "You're the stars of the show." The Chuunin ignored him and stood in silence. No point in wasting their energy before the fight. The same question was running through all their minds. _"Who am I going to have to fight?"_ They all had people that they really didn't want to meet in combat – and people they wanted to fight.

"OK," Shino said. "It's time to reveal the first two combatants." They all tensed. "Tsukiko Kisame no Konohagakure against Tsukiko Hanabusa no Konohagakure." The two twins looked at each other in surprise. They never expected that they'd have to fight each other.

"Will everyone aside from the two selected make their way to the viewing gallery," Shino said. The sixteen Chuunin made their way up the stairs, the teammates of the twins wishing them luck. They merely nodded and continued staring at each other. Once all the others were up in the viewing gallery, Shino gave the twins the signal to start. Immediately, both started to weave handsigns that would trigger their unique ability – but when they realised that the other was doing it too they stopped.

Kisame considered his options. His brother was good at ninjutsu and taijutsu, so he'd have to use genjutsu – but how would that help him win? He remembered researching the Mangekyo Sharingan after their mission to find Itachi's uncle. There had been barely anything – but he had found that it could immobilise its opponent, allowing the user to get close without fear of attack. He started to weave signs for a genjutsu, but at that moment, Hanabusa launched into a taijutsu attack – Kisame's weak point. He dodged and tried to continue weaving the handsigns, but his brother didn't give him enough time.

Hanabusa grinned to himself. He could see that Kisame was trying to cast a genjutsu, but as long as he could keep him off balance, he couldn't complete the seals. Charging at him again, he missed his brother's quick handsigns.

Kisame had realised that a genjutsu would take too long to perform – it would use time that he didn't have – so he'd resorted to his unique ability.

_Shintenshin no Jutsu! _His mind slipped out of his body and entered Hanabusa's. It was a big risk. If he didn't finish it quickly, Hanabusa would through him out, reversing it so that he was in control of both their bodies. He made his brother draw a kunai and held it to his throat. Just as he sliced, Hanabusa gained control. A stream of blood trickled down his neck as he 'returned the favour'. It was common knowledge that he was the stronger twin – he could afford to gloat as he killed his other half.

"_You're a weakling!" _he taunted, ignoring the blood dripping from his neck. _"I am the stronger and we both know it."_

His twin didn't reply. There was no point – it wouldn't be long before both twins were dead. He could feel his brother slipping away. Hanabusa seemed to sense that he didn't have much time left. He hurriedly made Kisame cut his own throat before all his energy drained away and he passed out. Kisame staggered before he too fainted. Shino stepped up and checked both their pulses.

"This match is over," he declared. "Neither wins." Itachi watched as his teammate was carried off on a stretcher, along with his twin. _That's one match down,_ he thought. _Who's next?_

Shino looked up at the remaining Chuunin.

"The next battle is between… Nara Hiroshi no Konohagakure and Tadashi no Amegakure." The Nara boy sighed in annoyance and made his way down to the battle arena. His pale eyes watched the petite Ame shinobi, who also chose to take the stairs rather than make a flashy entrance. _He has no obvious weapons,_ Hiroshi thought, assessing him. _Probably a genjutsu type. Oh great. This is going to be such a drag. I may be forced to use my mother's jutsu. What a drag. Let's just keep this to ninjutsu, if you please. I hate genjutsu or taijutsu._

Meanwhile, Tadashi was assessing the Nara boy.

_Oh, I see. A shadow lover, eh? _he thought, using his perceptive abilities to determine his opponent's preferred jutsu. _This is going to be fun._ They both emerged from the tunnel, neither having said a word to the other. Shino surveyed the silent pair.

"Begin!" Before the echo of the word had faded, Tadashi had begun to weave handsigns.

"Kurosu no jutsu!" Almost simultaneously, Hiroshi weaved handsigns of his own.

"Kagemane no Jutsu!" His shadow snaked towards Tadashi, who made no effort to dodge it, and they became connected. Hiroshi was puzzled. _Why didn't dodge it?_ he wondered. He got his answer when he tried to reach for his shuriken holster. He couldn't move! Tadashi smirked and crossed his arms. To his utmost astonishment, Hiroshi was forced to cross his arms too. _What is that Kurosu technique he used?_ Hiroshi wondered. _I've never heard of it. _Tadashi grinned as he watched Hiroshi try to work out what was happening. _Somehow he's managed to seize control of my jutsu. Kurosu… The key's in that jutsu. He doesn't seem to have any weapons, which means that this is probably his only weapon… It must reverse any jutsu cast at him on the caster… What a drag. This means that Shintenshin no Jutsu would be suicide, as would any lethal jutsu. I'll just have to release the jutsu – if I can – and use weapons. This is even more troublesome than fighting Itachi would have been. At least I would have had a _chance_ to neutralise his Sharingan. There's no loophole here… But what if his jutsu also reverses physical attacks? I'll just have to aim for a non-lethal wound so it won't kill me if it's reflected._

Tadashi watched in amusement as his opponent released the jutsu.

"That's a pesky jutsu of yours," Hiroshi said. "Very troublesome. I'll have to do this the old fashioned way." He drew some shuriken and threw them, aiming for Tadashi's shoulder. Tadashi dodged and they went flying past him. It was Hiroshi's turn to grin as he sent more shuriken the Ame ninja's way. His opponent blocked most with ease, but one caught him in the right shoulder. Hiroshi waited for the pain… but it didn't come. He had found a loophole in the Kurosu no jutsu!

"Very clever," Tadashi said sourly. "But that's not all I can do… Kuchiyose: Joro Senbon!" An umbrella appeared and the trademark Amegakure jutsu - Joro Senbon – began. Hiroshi scowled and dodged the first wave. _Damn,_ he thought. _My taijutsu isn't brilliant and my genjutsu is pathetic. The only way to get out of this alive is…_ He raised his hand.

"I withdraw," he said. Tadashi smirked and stopped his attack.

"Scared?" he taunted. Hiroshi shook his head.

"Taking into account that my ninjutsu is useless, and that the levels of my taijutsu and genjutsu aren't anything to brag about, it's the logical decision." Shino looked impressed.

"The winner is… Tadashi no Amegakure!" The Ame ninja shrugged, while Hiroshi looked positively relieved that he had avoided injury. They both made their way up to the contestant's gallery. Itachi nodded. He knew that Hiroshi had probably made the right choice.

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**Chapter 9… done. Tadashi… could he be the dark horse of the competition? Read on to find out. You don't know much about the others either… heh heh heh.**

**Reviews please! One word, flames, queries… I accept (and welcome) them all.**


	10. Ame and Suna

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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"_The winner is… Tadashi no Amegakure!" The Ame ninja shrugged, while Hiroshi looked positively relieved that he had avoided injury. They both made their way up to the contestant's gallery. Itachi nodded. He knew that Hiroshi had probably made the right choice._

Chapter 10 – Ame and Suna

"It's time for the next match," Shino announced. "The contestants are… Megumi no Amegakure against Nara Kei no Konohagakure." Hiroshi nodded at his sister as she passed him and she smiled back.

"Don't worry – I won't lose," she told him. "That Ame girl had better watch out!"

Megumi snorted as she surveyed her opponent. _Why do I have to fight a kunoichi? _she sulked. _My appearance won't affect her. As long as her genjutsu's a pathetic as her brother's, I'm OK, though._

The two female ninja opted for a more flashy entrance, both jumping off the gallery and landing, perfectly positioned, opposite each other, ready to fight.

"Don't work up a sweat," Kei told her opponent. "This'll be over quickly, I promise." Megumi laughed.

"In less than five minutes it'll be over – I grant you that – but I'll be the victor, not you!"

"Five minutes? Try three!"

"Begin," Shino said, seeing that they were about to start anyway. Megumi immediately raised her flute to her lips and began to blow. Everything blurred for Kei as the genjutsu took effect. She smirked.

"Nice try, but it's futile!" Kei, surreptitiously releasing the genjutsu, performed some Seals and her Kagemane no Jutsu took effect. Engrossed in her tune, Megumi didn't notice the sliver of shadow until it was too late. Abruptly, her tune was cut off as she was forced to drop her flute. Kei grinned again and made the handsigns necessary for her mother's family jutsu. _Shintenshin no Jutsu!_ The Kagemane held just long enough for her to slip her soul into Megumi.

"_Time to forfeit,"_ she told her victim, who snorted back.

"_Humph. No way."_

"_Yes way,"_ Kei responded, forcing Megumi to raise her hand.

"I… with… draw…" Megumi spat out, fighting the effects of the Shintenshin no jutsu. Shino nodded.

"The winner is… Nara Kei no Konohagakure," he announced. Kei released her Shintenshin no jutsu and her soul slipped back into her original body. Megumi glared at her, but there was nothing she could do. She had lost. Angrily, she stormed up the stairs. Her teammates didn't even bother trying to cheer her up. Her hair was bright red, which meant that she was furious. Kei, on the other hand, bounded up the stairs to be congratulated by her teammates.

"The next competetors are…" Shino announced. "Koushi no Amegakure and Ryu Isas no Konohagakure." The remaining Ame ninja and Mikoto's boyfriend made their way down the stairs at a calm pace. They weren't in any hurry, after all. When they finally got into position, Shino sighed.

"Begin." How many times would he have to say that?

Koushi didn't bother saying anything; he just threw his Senbon umbrellas into the air. _Joro Senbon!_ Isas looked at the jutsu scornfully.

"Katon: Seikakabe!" he retorted. The senbon needles entered the flames, but didn't emerge again, melted by the incredible heat of Isas' jutsu. Koushi smirked.

_That's how you're going to play it, huh? Joro Senbon! _More needles pelted the Seikakabe, showing no sign of stopping. _Joro Mizusenbon! _Senbon needles made of water joined the metal ones, slowly extinguishing the flames.

_Dammit, _Isas thought, _how is he doing that? Doton Kekkai: Dōmu! _A dome rose up and completely encased the blonde shinobi. The black haired rain ninja laughed.

_Joro Kūkisenbon! _Thousands of invisible needles pummelled Isas' protection, slowly making it crumble.

_That's just great. _ Isas thought. _Katon: Seikakabe! _A wall of fire formed, directly absorbing the senbon that had made it through the cracks. He gasped in pain as a water needle made it through both of his defences and pierced his upper arm, nearly a fatal hit. _This is too risky. I can't see what he's going to do next,_ Isas thought, scowling. _Doton Kekkai: Dorō Dōmu! _A huge mound of earth rose up and covered the rain ninja.

_So that's how you're playing it, is it?_ Koushi thought. _I'll have to use taijutsu then. _ He ate a Hyōrōgan. His chakra increased tenfold and he punched a hole through his prison. Before it could re-seal itself, he escaped and advanced towards Isas' protective barriers.

_Dammit, he's broken free of the prison, _Isas thought. _I'm in trouble now – he's resorted to taijutsu. _ Just as he thought that, the Ame ninja punched through the earthen barrier. Seeing the Seikakabe, he summoned his water chakra and encased his fist in it. He punched the barrier, wincing at the burns he sustained, and connected with the Leaf shinobi behind it. Isas tried to block it, but it was too powerful and he went flying. In an instant, Koushi was standing in front of him and punched him again, hard, knocking him out. Before he could deal a blow that would kill the 18 year old, Shino stepped in.

"This match is over. The winner is Koushi no Amegakure." The Ame ninja grinned and disappeared in a puff, reappearing in the viewing gallery. Meanwhile, medics knelt over Isas and transported him away to the infirmary. Shino watched him go indifferently.

"The next match is between… Hōzuki Hanabi no Konohagakure and Taro no Sunagakure," he said, sounding very bored.

"Good luck," Itachi said as his female team-mate headed to the stairs. She smiled at him.

"Thanks, Ita-kun," she said before heading down to the arena. The puppet master followed her. They took considerably less time to reach the bottom than the previous contestants had.

"Begin…" Shino said, getting thoroughly fed up with that word. Neither contestant moved. "I said to begin."

"Ladies first," Taro said, giving Hanabi a mocking bow. She glared at him.

"I never really agreed with that statement," she said. "It implies that women are weak. Why don't _you_ begin?"

"I never was one to deny the wish of a lady," Taro replied. "Very well, if you insist." She watched as he released the puppet that was on his back. A puppet master like his father, he was borrowing Kankuro's best puppet, Karasu. He sent it flying towards Hanabi who started to weave handsigns. Her thirst for blood was almost palatable as she finished her sequence. _This jutsu's particularly appropriate against a puppet master,_ she thought grimly. _Chakrakontorōru no jutsu! _Taro's eyes widened as Karasu dropped to the ground. He snarled at the silver haired kunoichi. Somehow she'd severed his chakra strings. No matter, he'd just have to re-attach them again. He frowned when he couldn't do it. It wasn't long before the truth dawned on him. _That little vixen's stopped my chakra flow – I'll have to use taijutsu. _ With one last, sorrowful look at his father's puppet, he drew a kunai and held it in the classic 'ready' stance. Hanabi scowled. She'd hoped to stall him for slightly longer than that.

_Oh, how I HATE fighting geniuses, _she thought, annoyed. _Taijutsu it is then. _She drew a kunai of her own and threw it at the Suna ninja. As she expected, he evaded it, but that meant he couldn't see the other kunai she'd thrown immediately after. Now that he was engrossed in the taijutsu and weapons fight it didn't matter that her Chakrakontorōru no jutsu was wearing off… Did it? Just to be on the safe side, she made sure that she could see both the ninja and the puppet: she had no intention of being caught off guard. Taro noticed the caution and so tried to re-connect the puppet strings; to his delight, he found that some of his control had returned, not all of it, but enough to operate his puppet. Hanabi scowled when she saw the puppet become active again. How she hated fighting a genius. She glared at him. Two on one was not good odds for her – she was a defensive type, her offense had always been shaky, so having to defeat two opponents was not good. As the Karasu hurtled towards her, she made the sign for her defence jutsus. _Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!_ The wall of earth surrounded her just in time – she could see the puppet's blade poking through it. Now that she had immobilised the pesky puppet for a bit, she could focus on the pesky puppeteer. _Doton:_ _Tsuru no kubi wo shime! _She could HEAR his distress at the jutsu that was curling up his legs.

Taro sighed. She was a defensive type, he could tell, but that didn't stop her from being annoying. Those creepers around his legs were a testament to that. And she'd managed to surround herself with that skilful defence. He couldn't get at her… He grinned. _Wait a minute. If I direct my chakra along these pesky vines, not only can I get inside her defences, but I can loosen her defences, so that Karasu is released. Then I can finish her off before she has a chance to recover._ His chakra seeped through the ground… slowly… he didn't want her to realise that it was coming until it was too late. However, Hanabi was fully aware that the chakra was creeping towards her. Cursing, she cut the vine and hoped it wasn't too late. Taro realised what she had done and sent a surge of his chakra. It worked and he managed to affect her before the vine had completely separated. Her movement jarred and she cursed. He had got her. She sent her chakra back at him and got the satisfaction of hearing him scream, but he didn't release her. Her Doroku Gaeshi no jutsu crumbled and Karasu rushed in. She dodged but it still scratched her as it passed. A scratch was all that was needed and Hanabi quickly passed out, and her jutsus all crumbled. Shino stepped up, realising that the kunoichi was defeated.

"The winner is… Taro no Sunagakure." The puppet master grinned and 'packed up' Karasu before heading back to rejoin his squad. Itachi watched in silence as his team-mate was carried off. He glared at the sand shinobi as he came up, and got a smile in return. With difficulty, he restrained himself as the cheeky puppet master walked right past him and whispered:

"She was weak." Hiroshi laid his hand on Itachi's arm, just to ensure his best friend didn't lose his temper.

Shino coughed, just to create variety.

"The next pair of competitors is Usagi no Sunagakure and Hyuuga Hidé no Konohagakure." The two kunoichi glared at each other before running down to the arena. "Aren't we eager...?" Shino said. "Begin." Grr. He was REALLY starting to hate that word. Immediately, Hidé activated her Byakugan. Usagi groaned inwardly. _Great, she's got a kekkei genkai. That's just what I need. Kamaitachi no Jutsu! _Thanks to her Byakugan, Hidé saw the attack and dodged, rolling behind the other kunoichi and throwing kunai. Her infallible accuracy was somehow wrong as all of the missiles missed their target. That Kyodai Sensu of Usagi's was open and showing one moon. Hidé shrugged.

_So that didn't work. Big deal. I'll just have to throw a few more._ True to her thoughts, she multiplied the number of weapons that she threw tenfold. Again, they all missed. Her opponent's Kyodai Sensu had opened a bit farther, revealing a second moon. _Fine._ Hidé thought, taking out some scrolls. _I'll just have to use that jutsu mum taught me the other day. Sōshōryū! _Two dragons made of smoke rose into the air from the scrolls and she jumped between them. They transformed into summoning scrolls and she drew hundreds of weapons. _Let's see you avoid all these! _When she returned to the ground, she gasped. Not one of her weapons had hit her opponent. Her opponent had fully opened her Kyodai Sensu, revealing a third moon.

"Pathetic," Usagi said. _Tatsumaki no jutsu!_ She swung her Kyodai Sensu and a tornado was created. Despite her Byakugan, Hidé couldn't avoid it and it sucked her up, soon making her pass out.

"Pathetic," Usagi repeated as the unconscious Hidé fell to earth with a thump.

"The winner is… Usagi no Sunagakure," Shino said. _That was almost an exact replica of their mothers' fight in the Chuunin exams, _he thought. _Interesting._ Usagi used her Kyodai Sensu to make a flashy exit, floating up _**(A/N:???)**_ to where her teammates were waiting. Medics assessed Hidé's condition and carried her to the infirmary. Shino looked at the next pair of names and his eyes, hidden behind those dark glasses, widened with interest. _Hah! Déjà vu, I think,_ he thought, amused. He glanced up at where the Hokage and Kazekage were sitting.

"The next pair of combatants is…" he paused. "Mamoru no Sunagakure and Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure!"

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**And that's the end of that chapter… heh heh…**

**But that's no excuse not to review. One word, flames, queries, I welcome them all…**


	11. Shinobi no Konohagakure

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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"_The next pair of combatants is…" he paused. "Mamoru no Sunagakure and Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure!"_

Chapter 11 – Shinobi no Konohagakure

Itachi froze momentarily before glancing over at his opponent. He looked cool and collected, seemingly unconcerned that he was about to fight a member of the prestigious Uchiha Clan. Oh well. It was time to do his family proud. He and the Suna ninja walked down the steps – no point in making a flashy entrance – at a pace they deemed respectable. An Uchiha and the son of the Kazekage. No. No-one would rush them. The crowd were quite restless by the time they finally reached the grassed area, but when they did emerge there was a massive cheer. Itachi blocked the audience out. He didn't need any distractions, not even from his own family.

"So," Mamoru said, or rather, drawled. "I get to fight Uchiha Itachi – the one that no-one wanted to fight because of his rumoured talent. Let's see how true those stories are, shall we?" Itachi didn't rise to the bait. He was an Uchiha. He didn't get wound up by thinly veiled taunts.

"Begin," Shino said, beating a hasty retreat. If the upcoming match was going to be anything like Sasuke and Gaara's all those years ago then he wanted to be a safe distance away, like, the other side of the arena. Sasuke's son made the first move. Throwing a handful of kunai, he noticed how the sand seemingly of its own accord moved to block the attack. _That sand's fast – but I can outpace it, I'm sure… but it's going to eat up a hell of a lot of Chakra. I could try Chidori –_ he dodged as a stream of sand darted towards him. _OK. I have to outpace it or I'm dead. This guy doesn't seem to take prisoners._ He activated his Sharingan and ran around in circles, trying to outpace the sand. It followed him, but he was pleased to see that it couldn't keep up with his Chakra-enhanced speed. He darted in and delivered a kick to the boy's chest, sending him flying backwards. _OK. You can do this, Itachi,_ he encouraged himself. _Just use Chidori and get it over with quickly. _His hands automatically formed the familiar Seals. A bright ball of Chakra appeared in his hand, making the trademark chirping noise. Charging at the son of the Kazekage, he evaded the moving sand and struck the younger Chuunin. The powerful attack cut straight through the Suna no Yoroi that covered Mamoru's body and punctured his shoulder. Itachi wanted to avoid a fatal injury if possible. Knocking out his opponent was a good enough victory for him. The red haired boy screamed before laughing.

"I'm not that easy to defeat," he laughed. "You'll have to do better than that – Itachi of the Uchiha Clan." Again, Itachi ignored the taunts. Rising to them would just give his opponent the advantage. _OK. Taijutsu didn't work. Ninjutsu didn't work. Your only option is genjutsu,_ Itachi told himself. He weaved the necessary handsigns and listened in satisfaction as Mamoru screamed, the genjutsu taking affect. Before the boy had a chance to recover, Itachi used his Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! Rather basic, but he didn't want to waste his Chidori. It appeared to work – the boy burst into flames – _wait? He caught fire? That isn't right. Humans aren't flammable. _Itachi looked around for him, realising that he'd somehow escaped the genjutsu. _Damn. I can't get to him with any of the three battle types. Kirin? No. That won't work, and anyway, that's for when I'm low on Chakra. Chidori Nagashi? I think I'll need to use that…_ He scowled, but it wasn't as if he had a choice. Because he had yet to locate that pesky ninja, he sent it in all directions. There was a scream and Itachi saw the Suna shinobi being coated in the Chidori Nagashi. Aware that it might be a trap, Itachi scoured the arena with his Sharingan. There! He was right – it was a diversion. _Clever, I guess. But you've got to be cleverer than that to fool me,_ Itachi thought, realising that that Mamoru too was a fake. _Come on. Where are you hiding?_ Itachi thought. He was getting annoyed. _Aha!_ He sent a second wave of Chidori Nagashi into the ground and a third up the walls. Of course, he couldn't kill innocent civilians purely because Mamoru was using them for cover. He'd have to lure him out by pretending to have dropped his guard.

Mamoru watched from just behind Mikoto. _That idiot,_ he thought scornfully. _He has no idea where I am. He thinks that I've stayed in the arena. There are no rules that I have to stay in there – so I'm using his sister for cover. He will expect me to attack once he's wasted a lot of Chakra, because that's what logical – but who said I was logical? I'll attack now, while he least expects it. See – he's dropped his guard somewhat. I've never seen him so open to attack. I've just got to be careful of that damn Kekkei Genkai of his. Then again… a few grains of sand should deal with that…_

Itachi let his Chidori Nagashi continue going, despite the fact it was using a lot of Chakra. Suddenly, he got something in his eye. _Sand! He's making his move._ Itachi was fully aware of the kunai slicing through the air behind him, but he ignored it.

Mamoru grinned as the Uchiha tried to get the sand out of his eyes, unaware of the kunai hurtling towards him. The blades hit him squarely in the back. _Got you! _he thought, then gasped as a log appeared in the place of the Uchiha. _What the..? A substitution? Dammit! He didn't let down his guard for a second! It was a trap and I fell right into it!_ There was the telltale sound of birds chirping. _Is that all you can do?_ he thought scornfully. He turned to see Itachi standing behind him, holding his katana, which was surrounded by Raiton Chakra. _What the hell is that?_ Mamoru thought.

"It's over," Itachi said. _Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidorigatana!_ He lunged with the unstoppable weapon, slicing through all the sand shields as though they were butter.

Mamoru coughed up blood as everything went black. _ I… lost...?_

"The winner is… Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure," Shino proclaimed. _That was an interesting match. _Itachi made his way back up to the viewing gallery where Hiroshi patted him on the back. Paramedics entered and carried Mamoru off on a stretcher.

"The next competetors are…" Shino paused. There were only four left, all from Konohagakure. "Kai Jun no Konohagakure and Shirasei Deidara no Konohagakure." The two Shinobi faced each other – white eyes met black. They both used a transportation jutsu to get down to the arena where Shino was waiting for them.

"Begin." He was back to hating that word. Immediately, both began to weave handsigns, playing on their strengths. Jun completed his first. _Kuchiyose: San tō juu!_ The dark boy slammed his hand down on the earth and a giant, three headed dog appeared. _Cerberus! _The beast of legend snarled and lunged at the green haired boy. He jumped up into the air, dodging the beast's attack. His hands continued to flow into Seals, uninterrupted. At the appearance of Cerberus, he had altered his pattern slightly. _Genjutsu: Ki!_ The beast howled and stood still. Jun glared at his fellow Konoha shinobi. _No, he used genjutsu! _The beast howled again, feeling thousands of augers drilling into him. _Dispel!_ The dark haired boy sent Cerberus out of range, back to wherever he came from. _A genjutsu resistant one, I think. Kuchiyose:_ _Ishi Bashirisuku!_ A giant snake-like creature with rocky skin appeared.

_Dammit! _Deidara thought. _Basilisks resist genjutsu. This time I'll have to attack Jun directly._ His hands blurred again, forming Seals for a genjutsu which would immobilise his opponent. _Genjutsu: Doen!_ The basilisk saw the attack and stood in the genjutsu's path.

_Magen: Kyō Tenchi-ten! _The Doen genjutsu rebounded off the basilisk's hard scales and struck its castor.

_Dammit! _Deidara thought just as it hit him.

The basilisk looked at Jun, its summoner, who nodded. _Dispel._ It disappeared and Jun walked over to where his opponent lay, blind eyes staring past him.

"The winner is… Kai Jun no Konohagakure." Shino was getting bored of repeating himself, but it was protocol. He couldn't change it. The dark boy shrugged and walked back up to the viewing gallery. A genjutsu expert appeared and released the genjutsu on Deidara, before medics led him away.

"The last two competitors are Uzumaki Aiko no Konohagakure and Uzumaki Kaname no Konohagakure," Shino announced. The sisters looked at each other before racing down to the stadium.

"They're sisters?" someone in the crowd asked. "They look nothing alike!"

"Shh!" his companion told him. "They're the daughters of the Hokage!"

"This is going to be fun," Kaname commented to her sister. "We get to fight each other." Her little sister nodded and looked up at their father.

"Begin," Shino said. Was it humanely possible to hate that word anymore? The sisters both performed Seals, unconcerned that the other was doing the same thing.

"_Byakugan!" _ Their Kekkei Genkai activated, their usually unmarked eyes gained defining lines. They both adopted the classic Hyuuga fighting stance, learnt from their mother. They leaped at each other, their inherited style of taijutsu clashing with each other, neither able to score even a glancing blow. Slowly, Kaname began to gain the advantage. Aiko realised that and disengaged, getting out of range of her sister's Hakke whatever-it-would-be Shō. _Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_ Her fingers formed the well known cross shape as she performed a jutsu passed down from her father. Kaname glared.

_That's how you're going to play it, little sister? Hakke Rokujūyon Shō! _Her stance shifted slightly as she attacked the clones of her sister. Aiko and her clones dodged as many of the blows as they could, but Kaname was too skilled so, gradually, the number of clones dwindled until only Aiko was left. She cursed and more doppelgangers appeared. Instead of rushing at her sister, they surrounded Aiko and a glowing ball of Chakra was created in her palm. She charged at her sister, careful to not get her Chakra points struck, _Rasengan!_ Kaname dodged to the side as her sister thrust the sphere at her. Before Aiko could recover, she struck her Chakra points, halting the flow. Despite her enormous reserves of Chakra, Aiko was unable to perform any jutsus. In fact, the jutsu her sister used was enough to make her black out, therefore losing the fight. Itachi wasn't surprised. Kaname had the advantage of age and experience. He glanced up at where the Kages were sat. Naruto's face was expressionless, but Itachi could tell that he was pleased with both his daughters' performances.

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**Now it's been edited, you have absolutely no excuse not to review. Flames… One word… Queries… All are accepted. My updates might be a bit erratic for a while because I've got major exams coming up.**


	12. Break Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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_He glanced up at where the Kages were sat. Naruto's face was expressionless, but Itachi could tell that he was pleased with both his daughters' performances._

Chapter 12 – Break Time

Shino stepped up.

"The winner is… Uzumaki Kaname no Konohagakure." Kaname grinned and made her way up to where the other victors stood. "There will be a thirty minute respite so that the competitors can recover slightly before their next match," Shino added as medics carried Aiko away. The crowd all surged to their feet and applauded as Shino beckoned for the remaining eight to come down. They complied and were greeted by the standing ovation. When they were finally allowed to go, Itachi went to where the defeated ninja were. The first people he saw were Hanabusa and Kisame, who grinned at him.

"Judging by the fact you look unharmed and aren't being carried in on a stretcher, I'd say you won your match," Kisame commented. Itachi nodded.

"Cool. Now tell me, who fought who and who won," Hanabusa demanded. Itachi sighed.

"Hiroshi fought that small Ame ninja – Tadashi – and lost. The Ame kunoichi, Megumi, lost against Kei. The other Ame ninja, Koushi, beat Isas. The puppet master, Taro, beat Hanabi. The Suna kunoichi, Usagi, beat Hidé. I beat the other Suna ninja, Mamoru. Jun beat Deidara and Aiko got beaten by Kaname." The twins looked impressed.

"So what's happening now?" Kisame asked.

"We've been given a thirty minute respite to recover before the second round," Itachi explained.

"There you are," Mikoto said, having just come from seeing Isas, putting a hand on Itachi's shoulder. She inspected her brother. "You're getting low on Chakra," she commented. "Why did you keep the Chidori Nagashi activated for that long?" Itachi grinned sheepishly at her.

"I needed to lure him out," he explained. "And the only way to do that was to pretend that I didn't know where he was." Mikoto sighed and gave him a hug.

"Baka. But I'm glad you made it through to the second round," she said. There was the sound of running feet. The siblings looked round to see Tani running over to them, pursued by their parents. She flung herself on her brother, who staggered back a few paces, much to the amusement of the twins.

"You did it! You did it!" she squealed in delight. "You won your match!" He nodded. Sasuke and Sakura came up and pulled Tani off him.

"Well done," Sasuke said. "That was well fought." Sakura nodded in agreement.

"And now you've seen the others' jutsus." Itachi nodded, then paused.

"Unless, like me they were keeping back their stronger jutsus," he said thoughtfully. "That's what the intelligent ones would have done." His uncle walked up and smiled.

"You did well," he complemented Itachi. The teen grinned.

"Thanks," he said. "How much longer to I have until we regroup?"

"Paranoid," Sakura laughed. "Twenty minutes." Itachi grinned again. "So you should be resting, not wandering around." The grin disappeared.

"Mu-um," he said. "I can look after myself. I'm fine." His mother glared at him.

"I'm not stupid, you know. You're only at about three-quarters of your normal Chakra level which means that you need to rest." Itachi scowled. The Ame ninja, listening nearby, gasped quietly.

"He sustained that powerful jutsu for so long and he's still got three-quarters of his Chakra left?" Megumi whispered in disbelief. "This guy's Chakra is insane!"

"You got that right," Hiroshi said, walking up to them. "Itachi's quite likely to have more Chakra than anyone else that's made it to the third exam, maybe out of everyone who took the exam in the first place. After all, he's an Uchiha – the clan known for their extraordinary Chakra levels. As well as that, he's got the brains to use it no more than necessary – and he knows exactly how much is necessary. That's what comes of having a genius for a mother and an almost total powerhouse for a father. Not that Sasuke's dumb. He's pretty clever. Oh yeah, and his uncle's a true prodigy too. So you have no chance against him… Why am I even explaining this too you – it's such a drag." The three foreign ninja glared at the Nara.

"You're just trying to intimidate us," Koushi accused. Hiroshi shrugged.

"You can see it that way if you want," he said. "It doesn't concern me. After all, I lost my match… remember?"

Itachi grinned. He could hear the conversation that his best friend was having with the Ame ninja. _So they're underestimating me,_ he thought. _That might be a mistake on their part…_ His mother grabbed his arm and dragged him away, amusing the twins to no end. The rest of his family followed. They entered a room that was set aside for the competitors. The remaining two Suna ninja glared at him as he entered with his family.

"_He's strong – I don't want to have to fight him,"_ they both thought. Naruto and Gaara were there as well. When they saw the Uchihas they walked over to them.

"You're doing well," Naruto commented.

"Not many people could over power Mamoru as easily as you did," Gaara agreed. "You are just like your father." Sasuke looked at the two Kages.

"Who thought up the matches?" he asked. "They can't have been coincidence." Naruto nodded.

"It was a decision made by the proctors, myself and Gaara," he explained. "We all thought that it would be amusing to put Itachi against Mamoru to see who was stronger." Sasuke glared at him. "Well who can resist déjà vu?" he defended himself.

"Déjà vu?" Itachi asked his father.

"During the Chuunin exams when a war broke out before it was finished, I was pitted against Gaara," Sasuke explained.

"...But the war broke out right in the middle of out match so no-one found out who was the stronger – the top shinobi of Suna or the Uchiha clan," Gaara completed. "Everyone wanted to know who was stronger - our match was the most eagerly anticipated of the lot. They delayed it twice because Sasuke was late. Technically, he **should** have been disqualified, but the Kages refused to disqualify him for some reason." Mikoto stared at her father.

"You were **late**?" She asked incredulously. He scowled.

"It was Kakashi's fault."

Naruto laughed.

"And you just **had **to make a dramatic entrance instead of using the door," he said. Itachi ignored the argument that broke out. Instead, he focused on what he knew about the remaining Chuunin. The Ame ninja, Koushi, appeared to favour Joro Senbon no jutsu and had fuiton and suiton based chakra. The other Ame ninja, Tadashi, used a strange jutsu that he didn't recognise. He was very strong – probably the most dangerous opponent left in the competition. The Suna kunoichi, Usagi, used fuiton jutsu. That Kyodai Sensu of hers was dangerous. The other Suna ninja, Taro, was a puppet master with a powerful puppet. Kaname had a powerful kekkei genkai, making her dangerous, but as long as he stayed out of her trigrams he would be safe. Jun summoned animals, which made him hard to fight – he could summon an animal to cope with virtually every situation. Finally, Kei. She was highly intelligent, and had Shintenshin no jutsu and other, similar, techniques. Her Kage jutsus were a problem.

"Earth to Itachi..." Naruto said, waving a hand in front of his face. He blinked and looked at the Hokage inquiringly.

"What?"

"Seeing as you've thoroughly analysed your opponents, who do you **not** want to fight?"

"A few of them," Itachi hedged.

"Who?" Naruto pressed, earning himself an infamous Uchiha glare.

"A few of them."

Sasuke laughed.

"You're not going to get him to say who, but the fact that any of them worry him is slightly surprising."

"Not really," Kisame said, walking in with his twin. "Itachi's paranoia has increased a bit during this exam. He's worrying too much. He could take on any Chuunin in this room and win."

Naruto laughed.

"Just the Chuunin? He could give me or Gaara a run for our money," he confessed. The Chuunin in the room all looked at him and then at Itachi. _"Is he really that strong?" _they all wondered, now wary of the good looking sixteen year old standing by the door with his family. In answer, Kisame chuckled.

"I know he could – he is my teammate, after all."

Sasuke looked at his only son and grinned.

"You're not listening, are you?"

Itachi didn't reply.

"Itachi..." Silence. "**Itachi...**" Still no answer. "ITACHI!" The teen jerked.

"Huh?" he asked. His father sighed.

"Stop spacing out – you're worse than your mother." Itachi just looked at his father." Itachi just blinked at his father.

"Just leave him," Sakura said. "He's probably thinking up tactics or something like that." Her son nodded.

"Well go sit down then," Sasuke said. "Don't just stand there looking like a lemon." Itachi glared at his father before going to a vacant chair in the corner and sitting down. Mikoto walked over to him and sat on the floor next to him. Tani soon followed and the three siblings sat in a companionable silence. The adults continued to talk about things that didn't really interest them. Itachi just concentrated on resting. No matter who he fought next, the match would be tough and he knew it. The other seven would-be-Jounin watched the trio, surprised at how similar they looked. All with raven hair and emerald eyes, except the oldest who had her Sharingan activated – they were unmistakeably siblings.

"Five minutes," Shino said, sticking his head round the door. The Chuunin nodded and rose. They headed out the room, following the bug master. All except Itachi, because his sisters were holding on to his arm. Tadashi saw Mikoto hug him before letting go. Tani gave her brother a crushing embrace before she too released him. The Uchiha boy glared at the Ame ninja as his family wished him luck. The usually serious Ame Chuunin grinned back before going to join his teammate. Itachi followed soon afterwards.

* * *

**There's chapter twelve. Sorry about the late update – they're not going to be regular again until mid-June because I've got exams. I'll update when I can though!**

**Just because I'm updating irregularly is NO EXCUSE not to review. Reviews will brighten my day when I'm being nagged to revise, revise, revise!**


	13. Round Two

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

*** * ***

"_Five minutes," Shino said, sticking his head round the door. The Chuunin nodded and rose. They headed out the room, following the bug master. All except Itachi, because his sisters were holding on to his arm. Tadashi saw Mikoto hug him before letting go. Tani gave her brother a crushing embrace before she too released him. The Uchiha boy glared at the Ame ninja as his family wished him luck. The usually serious Ame Chuunin grinned back before going to join his teammate. Itachi followed soon afterwards._

Chapter 13 – Round Two

"The second round of the third Jounin exam will now begin," Shino announced, looking at the remaining Chuunin. "The first match will be between… Taro no Sunagakure and Uzumaki Kaname no Konohagakure." The Suna shinobi and Konoha kunoichi looked at each other as the other six made their way up to the viewing gallery.

"Begin!" The hatred of that word was bound to return soon.

Taro sighed.

"I suppose you too are against the 'ladies first' policy," he said. Kaname shrugged. "Too bad, that means I'll have to go first."

"Don't bother," Kaname said. _Byakugan!_ Her kekkei genkai appeared and she scowled. "Come on out – I can see the Chakra strings!" The bundle on his back jumped down.

"It was worth a try," he shrugged. Kaname didn't give him a chance to say anything else. _Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!_ Her stance adopted the usual Hyuuga taijutsu position before attacking the puppet master. The end of the match came brutally fast. Just before his Chakra was cut off, Taro directed Karasu to attack the Uzumaki girl. Its poison connected and she dropped like a stone.

"That was easy," he scoffed.

"The winner is… Taro no Sunagakure." The puppet master gathered his puppet and made his way up to where the other six Chuunin stood. Kaname was carried off to have the poison removed from her system. Shino watched her go before turning back to the audience.

"The next match is between… Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure and Koushi no Amegakure." Itachi looked at the Ame ninja, who grinned back at him.

"I hope you've said goodbye to those sisters of yours," Koushi whispered as they made their way down the stairs. "'Cause you won't end up in the hospital – I'm going to send you to your grave!" Itachi looked at him curiously.

"Brave words – let's see how you intend to back them up, shall we?" he countered. The audience gasped as the pair emerged – they appeared to be having a civil conversation. That is, until the words could be heard.

"Everyone's got such a high opinion of the great Uchiha Itachi, blah blah blah, but your strength is no match for mine!" Koushi said loudly. Itachi's family sighed. The Ame ninja was being stupid. Although most people found it hard to believe, Itachi had a foul temper.

"As I said, we shall see how you intend to back up such brave words," Itachi said, although inwardly he was seething. _You'll pay for those words, Ame ninja._

"Begin." Shino was one of the few people who knew about Itachi's temper. He thought that it would be a good idea to get the match officially started **before** Itachi snapped.

"Bring on your worst, Uchiha!" Koushi spat. Itachi glared at him, his temper rising.

"Why don't **you** go first?" he hissed. Koushi was temporarily taken back by the venom in his voice. Shino beat a hasty retreat.

"Uh-oh," Mikoto muttered. The people near her glanced at her. "This match could turn nasty." Her uncle looked at her, confused.

"Why?"

"Itachi has a really foul temper which he can usually suppress, but those words have drawn it out. That Ame ninja is going to find out that taunting Itachi is a bad idea," Mikoto explained. Understanding dawned on his face.

"And here I thought our Itachi was a dreamer. Obviously there's more to him than that."

Mikoto nodded. "A lot more. You've only known him a couple of weeks – I've known him his entire life. In a nutshell, he's quiet, but with a flaming temper that is rarely roused."

"Are you scared?" Koushi taunted the Uchiha. Itachi chose not to answer. "Fine – I'll put you out of your misery!" _Joro Senbon!_ He threw his umbrella up into the air, where it dispensed a large amount of senbon needles. Itachi merely activated his Sharingan and dodged the needles using his inhuman speed.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked, scorn creeping into his voice. "I don't think I'm going to struggle then." The Ame ninja was unnerved by the fact that he had not managed to hit the Konoha ninja once. _Oh well, I've still got genjutsu. Genjutsu – Ichiru!_ Itachi scoffed as a single, unbreakable thread sped towards him.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me. Kai!" The thread disappeared.

_Big deal, a weak genjutsu didn't work,_ Koushi thought. _Let's try one a little stronger. Genjutsu: Ichijo! Dispel __**this**__, Uchiha!_ Itachi saw a flash of bright light and grinned.

_Kai! When will he learn that genjutsu does __**not**__ work on my Sharingan?_

Koushi scowled as Itachi released that genjutsu, too.

_How is he doing that? Oh well. I've got loads of more powerful genjutsu I can use. One of them will get him. I'll defeat him somehow, even if I have to use __**that**__ one. Genjutsu: Hio Kuruizaki!_

Itachi sighed. _When will he give up?_

The audience were getting restless.

"Come on. Why don't they start already? The only thing that they've done is throw and dodge some needles." They were hushed by others.

"It's a genjutsu fight! They're using illusions!"

An Ame ninja in the audience laughed.

"We'll win this fight then. No-one can match our genjutsu!"

The Uchiha family (who were seated right next to the Ame ninja) smirked.

"What?" he demanded.

"Not even Amegakure can match or overpower the Sharingans ability to cast and release genjutsu," Sasuke said quietly.

_Kai!_ Itachi released the plants that were attempting to immobilise him. Koushi was growing more and more irritated.

_It doesn't matter what I do – he releases it instantly. Or he makes me think that I've got him, __**then**__ releases it. Increase the level again. Genjutsu: Renma!_

Itachi scowled. He wasn't stupid. He knew that the level was increasing each time. _That's it, wear away at my Chakra while you try and find a genjutsu I __**can't **__release. Kai!_

Koushi smirked. _So you can undo that? You're good Uchiha – I'll give you that – but you haven't seen my truly powerful ones yet. Genjutsu: Kuakastsuki!_

Itachi sighed. _This is so boring, but all I have to do is wait until he gives me a genjutsu that's powerful enough that if I reverse it it'll knock him out. Perfect. This way I don't have to give away any of my jutsu. Kai! Very pretty, but I'm not in the mood._

Koushi ground his teeth. _Damn! How did he release that one? No-one's ever released it before! Calm down. OK. Next one. Genjutsu: Senri!_

Itachi was very bored. The only thing that amused him was testing the strength of the genjutsu and seeing what it did. _Kai. That was powerful, I'll give you that._

Koushi groaned inwardly. _This guy's ability is insane. Not even Tadashi could fight me this easily. Physical attacks don't work. I just need to wear him down so that he runs out of Chakra. Genjutsu: Ryuki!_

Itachi made no attempt to hide his displeasure as he released that genjutsu. _That one was strong,_ he thought. _It was a struggle to release._

Koushi smirked. _Struggling are we? You have made me use my strongest genjutsu – it will bring you down though. Genjutsu: Kaien!_

Itachi cursed. _This is very powerful. Magen: Kyō Tenchi-ten!_ His Sharingan whirled and morphed briefly but no-one noticed. It was so quick. Koushi screamed. _This is why you don't try to win with genjutsu when fighting a Sharingan user, _Itachi thought scornfully.

"Tell me," he said to the semi-conscious Ame ninja. "How does it feel to have your own genjutsu turned against you?" No-one could mistake the malice in his voice. Koushi didn't answer.

Shino stepped up nervously.

"The winner is… Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure!"

Itachi huffed and walked back up the steps, still seething. All the ninja moved away from him when he emerged. He watched medics carry off the unfortunate Ame shinobi. His Sharingan remained active.

_Interesting,_ Tadashi thought. _I can't tell what jutsu he favours. And he was able to reflect Koushi's most powerful genjutsu back at him. Very interesting._

"The next match is between… Kai Jun no Konohagakure and Nara Kei no Konohagakure." The two Konoha ninja made their way down to the arena.

"Ready?" Shino asked when they emerged. They nodded. "Begin."

_Kuchiyose: Kuro ryū!_ A relatively small, black dragon appeared. Kei groaned inwardly.

_Great. Just what I need. A dragon._ The dragon looked at her in puzzlement, then looked at Jun. The dark boy nodded and it moved to attack her.

_Kagemane no Jutsu! _It froze and glared at the Nara girl.

_Kuchiyose: Fenikkusuraijingu!_ There was a burst of flame and a phoenix burst into view. At a nod from Jun, that too headed for Kei, who caught it in her jutsu. Jun whistled and the two summoned beasts strained to break free from the shadows that bound them. While Kei was distracted, Jun summoned another dragon, this one red, which attacked her. By the time she noticed it, it was upon her. She didn't stand a chance.

"The winner is… Kai Jun no Konohagakure," Shino said as Kei collapsed. The dark boy shrugged and dispelled the animals that he had summoned before heading back up to the competitors' viewing gallery. Medics carried Kei off and the last two Chuunin didn't wait to be announced. Usagi no Sunagakure and Tadashi no Amegakure jumped down from the platform.

"Show offs," Itachi muttered, still angry. "That's just a waste of Chakra." But it appeared that the crowd had no such thoughts; instead they cheered the two foreign ninja loudly.

"The next match is between Usagi no Sunagakure and Tadashi no Amegakure," Shino said out of protocol. "Begin." He **really** hated that word. Neither of them needed to be told a second time.

_Kurosu no jutsu!_ Tadashi performed his jutsu. Usagi drew her Kyodai Sensu, with all three moons showing.

_I'll finish this off quickly,_ she thought. _Kamaitachi no Jutsu!_ A harsh breeze swept towards the Ame ninja, who made no move to dodge it. _What's he doing?_ the kunoichi wondered. _Normally my opponents try to dodge the jutsu – why isn't he?_ She got her answer a moment later when the damaging winds turned on **her**. _Impossible! He turned my own jutsu against me? _She held her Kyodai Sensu in front of her body and used it to block the winds. She scowled at him as her anger boiled. **No-one** turned her own jutsu against her and got away with it. _Ōkamaitachi no jutsu!_ A more powerful attack, she was confident that he wouldn't be able to return it. But when the gust of wind came back at her she had enough time to think _what? No way! How is he doing that?_ before she was overcome and knocked unconscious by her own jutsu.

"The winner is… Tadashi no Amegakure," Shino said, feeling somewhat disappointed by the swift outcome. He had expected more from Temari's daughter. Tadashi slowly climbed the stairs, despite the fact that he would just have to come back down them again as his was the last match.

"Again, there will be a thirty minute break so that the remaining candidates can regain some of their strength before the next round," Shino announced. The four remaining Chuunin looked at each other before descending the stairs to be applauded. As the audience cheered and clapped, Itachi looked round at the other three remaining. There was him, Jun, Taro no Sunagakure and Tadashi no Amegakure. _Who will I fight next?_ he wondered. _I don't particularly want to face any of them – they're all very strong._ Unbeknownst to him, the other three were thinking the same thing.

* * *

**There you go. My apologies for the irregular updates. I know this is the two week Easter holiday for me, but I've been away a lot so I haven't had access to a computer much…**

**But reviews please! All reviewers get a cyber cookie!**


	14. Sister's Squads

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

*** * ***

_As the audience cheered and clapped, Itachi looked round at the other three remaining. There was him, Jun, Taro no Sunagakure and Tadashi no Amegakure_. Who will I fight next? _he wondered._ I don'tparticularly want to face any of them – they're all very strong_. Unbeknownst to him, the other three were thinking the same thing._

Chapter 14 – Sisters' Squads

They had all been forced to acknowledge the other three's skills in the previous matches. As before, when they were finally dismissed Itachi headed straight to the infirmary. As he entered, he saw Hanabi sitting in the waiting room.

"They wouldn't let me watch," she said sullenly. "Who's through to the next round of fighting?" Itachi grinned (a grin that four years ago would have sent the kunoichi swooning) before answering.

"Me, Jun, Taro and Tadashi."

Hanabi gave an **almost** fangirlish squeal of delight.

"I knew you'd make it! After all, you **are** the strongest Chuunin who took the exam this time around," she said. Tadashi strolled towards them.

"Everyone has such a high opinion of your abilities, Uchiha," he drawled. "I won't deny that you are good, but I know better. In Amegakure, I am classed as good but my teammates aren't. Koushi was a push over, really."

Itachi nodded.

"Not very clever, either," he said. "I know that Ame ninja are supposed to be unparalleled in their genjutsu, but we're not too shabby here in Konoha."

Tadashi grinned.

"If you've got the impression that you can beat me if we fight, you are wrong," he said. "You haven't seen half of what I can do."

"Likewise," Itachi said. "As I'm sure you've realised, I've been holding back like anyone else with any brains."

Hanabi watched the two, following their conversation carefully. Finally, she stepped in.

"I may not know **your** abilities, but I know Ita-kun's. You must be really good if you think that you have a hope against him."

"Hanabi's right," Suigetsu said, appearing and putting an arm around his daughter's shoulders. Tadashi looked at him.

"You are Hōzuki Suigetsu of the 'Sound Squad', am I right?" he said. The water ninja nodded.

"So you know me. Itachi is stronger than me – think about that," he said. Tadashi shrugged.

"I probably am, too," he said. "You probably wouldn't stand a chance against me if we had to fight."

Suigetsu shrugged.

"**Someone** has a high opinion of his abilities," he commented. "Don't let your head swell too much. I've seen what happens to ninja who overestimate or place too much faith in their abilities. That's where Itachi here surpasses you. He hates to hear people talk about him as though he's the best-"

"That's because I'm not," Itachi interrupted. "My father is stronger than I am, and so is my uncle."

Suigetsu snorted.

"See what I mean?" he asked the young Ame ninja, who looked at him disdainfully.

"I couldn't care less how he rates his abilities," he shrugged.

"So stop bothering him," Mikoto said, standing behind Tadashi. He jumped.

"How did you get there without me noticing?" he demanded. The kunoichi shrugged.

"I'm ANBU," she said. "Does that help?"

"You tell him, Mik," a kunoichi with long brown hair said. "Long time, no see, Itachi."

"Hana," he acknowledged. "Arisu, Kurisotufuaa." He nodded at the other two members of the ANBU squad. Kurisotufuaa merely nodded back, his black and red streaked hair moving with his head. Arisu, on the other hand, reacted slightly differently. She yawned and fingered her mask before looking at him.

"Nice to see you, too," she said. "Now why don't you kick this guy back to his village **right now**?" Her wavy, dark hair moved in the slight breeze.

"That wouldn't be right," Hana said. "Then he wouldn't be able to do it in front of an audience. That'd be no fun."

"I thought that **Arisu** was supposed to be the one with a twisted sense of humour," Tani said, walking up to her brother with her squad mates in tow. The bright blonde girl grinned at Itachi. Tadashi looked taken aback as another head emerged from the young kunoichi's neck.

"Good luck," it said. "Looking at those other guys, you're going to need all the luck you can get."

"Good luck," the blonde kunoichi said, echoing the head that was stuck out of her neck.

"Thanks Rebatsuka, Suzanna," Itachi said. The two grinned at Tadashi, sensing his confusion.

"We're sisters," the head said. "I'm the older one, but my sister, Suzanna, is usually the main body." Tadashi looked no less confused.

"It's our kekkei genkai, Sumo no Ko," Suzanna explained. "Rebatsuka shares my body." She said no more and Rebatsuka's head disappeared and re-emerged out the back of Suzanna's neck, where she wasn't in the way.

"You'd think I'd be used to that," the shinobi on their squad said. "But I'm not yet. A few more years maybe." He looked at his older sister, Hanabi, and sighed. "That was soooo embarrassing, the way you got beat like that," he told her.

"Shut it, Surin," she countered. "Or I'll shut your mouth for you." Her brother blanched and faded into the background. Suigetsu quietly tutted at his daughter for being mean to her brother.

"Let's go," Itachi heard Hana mutter to Arisu and Kurisotufuaa. "Let the family have a little chat." They nodded and left, placing their masks on their faces. Mikoto fingered her wolf mask as she glared at the Ame ninja, who hurriedly departed too.

"He's bad news," she told Itachi as soon as Tadashi was out of earshot. "That jutsu he uses: that's no ordinary technique – it's extremely dangerous. I don't know exactly what it does, but it seems to reflect jutsus back on the castor so that they take the damage, not him." Itachi nodded. There was a 'poof' and Suzanna and her sister disappeared. They were soon followed by Hanabi, Surin and Suigetsu.

"Nervous?" Mikoto asked. Itachi nodded. "Good. It would be a bad thing if you weren't," she told him. He nodded in understanding. "Go sit down somewhere," she added, seeing how pale her brother was. "Your Chakra levels are rather low." Itachi nodded and walked off.

"Will he be alright?" Tani asked her sister as they watched their brother walk off. Mikoto nodded.

"He's strong. If anyone can manage this, he can," she assured her little sister – and herself.

Meanwhile, Itachi had walked into a room to find somewhere to sit down when he froze, realising that he wasn't the only one in there. He'd just walked in on Hana and Kurisotufuaa kissing. As soon as they noticed his presence, they broke apart, blushing furiously.

"Are you two going out?" he asked innocently. They glared at him

"Tell anyone and you die," Hana threatened. Itachi gulped and nodded his understanding. They were ANBU – he didn't feel like having an argument with them. They put on their masks (Hana was the owl, Kurisotufuaa the lion) as more footsteps were audible. Itachi slumped into a chair as Arisu entered, her bat mask obscuring her face.

"I thought we left you with Mik," she said to Itachi, who shrugged.

"She thought that I should have been sitting down so she sent me to rest," he explained. The young kunoichi shrugged and removed her mask. She was the youngest in the ANBU squad, being only sixteen while the others were eighteen, but no-one with any sense would oppose her right to be ANBU. Like Itachi himself, she was a prodigy, and therefore far more powerful than most people her age. Taking their cue from her, Hana and Kurisotufuaa removed their masks. Hana was the daughter of Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, so she was obviously strong – she even had the Sharingan in her left eye, even though she wasn't related in any way to the Uchiha Clan. Kurisotufuaa was, admittedly, weaker than his teammates, but talented nonetheless. There were more footsteps and Mikoto appeared.

"Good, you're sitting down," she said. "Unfortunately, you only have about five minutes until you have to be ready to fight again. Thank Kami you recover quickly!" Itachi sighed.

"You fuss too much," he said. "I can look after myself." The four ANBUs burst out laughing.

"'I can look after myself', eh?" Arisu said wickedly. "I doubt it. Mik pampers you and you know it." She laughed again.

_Why does she have such a twisted sense of humour?_ Itachi wondered despairingly. He could answer that though. He knew what a tough childhood she had had. Like Kisame and Hanabusa, she hadn't been born in Konoha. She came from Kiri, where those with a kekkei genkai were despised and feared. Not long before they had become ANBU, Mikoto and her teammates had been on a mission when they had stumbled across a fight where one teenager was being attacked by many Kiri shinobi. They had stepped in and saved her, bringing her back to Konoha. Naruto, as the Hokage, had accepted her into the village where she joined the squad that had brought her salvation.

"Spacing out again?" Arisu asked scornfully. "It's time you went back to the arena." Itachi stood, pleased that he was steadier on his feet than he had been earlier. In silence, they walked back to where Shino and the three other competitors were waiting.

"What took you so long?" Tadashi asked scornfully, clearly over the shock that Suzanna and Rebatsuka had given him.

"Feel like the rules are beneath you because you're an Uchiha?" Taro taunted. Mikoto glared at them, but Itachi took no notice of their jibes. Jun seemed oblivious to the insults being hurled at his fellow Konoha shinobi. In a bad mood, Mikoto stomped back to the stands with her teammates.

* * *

**And chapter 14 is done.**

**Cyber cookies to the following people:**

**DarkAlliGator**

**Akatsuki Sakura Uchiha**

**Gazing on the Arabesque**

**missanime**

**Spaice**

**Reviews please (I can hand out plenty more cyber cookies :P)!**


	15. The Third Round

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_Feel like the rules are beneath you because you're an Uchiha?" Taro taunted. Mikoto glared at them, but Itachi took no notice of their jibes. Jun seemed oblivious to the insults being hurled at his fellow Konoha shinobi. In a bad mood, Mikoto stomped back to the stands with her teammates._

Chapter 15 – The Third Round

"Now that they've all arrived," Shino said with a disapproving glance at Itachi, "the next round of matches can commence." The four shinobi looked at each other, wondering who they would have to face.

"First up is Taro no Sunagakure against Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure." Inwardly, Itachi groaned, but he kept his face expressionless. The puppet master looked pleased.

"Good. Now I can show you how your village is inferior to mine," he boasted. Like before, Itachi ignored him, choosing to vent his anger while he fought, not beforehand. Taro soon gave up, realising that his taunts were having no affect on his opponent. Meanwhile, Tadashi and Jun had made their way up to the viewing gallery to watch the fight from a (hopefully) safe distance.

"Begin!" Shino said, backing away from the two shinobi. In the blink of an eye, Taro had Karasu out and prepared to fight. Itachi calmly activated his kekkei genkai and waited for Taro to make the first move. He obliged, sending the dangerous puppet racing towards him at an incredible speed. But not fast enough. With a look of contempt, Itachi dodged the charging puppet. Taro grinned and flicked his fingers. Karasu flew through the air towards Itachi's back. Itachi sighed as he side stepped the puppet.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked scornfully. "A useless toy?"

Taro snarled.

"You won't think he's so useless when he kills you!" he spat back.

Itachi shrugged.

"To kill me, you'll have to hit me - which, so far, you're failing to do." He dodged as Karasu hurtled towards him again. "Pathetic."

"I was hoping to save this for the final match," Taro scowled. "But you've given me no choice, Uchiha!"

Itachi smirked.

"If you're resorting to your 'killer technique' already then you are nothing special."

Taro snarled, then grinned. There was an ominous 'click' behind Itachi, causing him to turn his head slightly. Another puppet was standing there, and its barrel-like body was opening. Before Itachi had time to react, Karasu jumped at him, forcing him to stumble into the container, which snapped shut around him.

_What are those slits for?_ he wondered, seeing small beams of light. There was the sound of something being dismantled. _Blades!_ he realised. _He's going to plunge some blades through these. That means I have to get out of here. Stay calm. Focus. All my Chakra to my hand… NOW!_

Taro grinned. He could hear the people who knew what was about to happen screaming or shouting. _Save your breath – he's a gonna, _he thought scornfully. Then… **BANG!** The puppet that contained Itachi creaked alarmingly. **BANG!** The wood gave out and the puppet broke, leaving Itachi standing there with a smirk on his face.

"You thought that would finish me?" he asked scornfully. "I'm not that weak." There were cheers as the audience worked out what had happened. Taro scowled.

"Mister popularity, eh?" he asked scornfully. "Pah. I'll give you credit – no-one's ever broken out of Kuroari before."

Itachi shrugged.

"Is it my turn yet?" he asked, almost bored. Taro shook his head patronisingly.

"That **was** your turn," he said. Karasu lunged again, to be easily avoided by the Uchiha. He made his clan's famed handsigns. _Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!_ A ball of fire roared towards the **wooden** puppet. Cursing, Taro moved the puppet so that it wasn't incinerated, but it still got slightly singed.

_Damn you, Uchiha! You're not even using high level jutsu,_ he thought. _Just how strong __**are**__ you, that you can overpower Karasu and Kuroari without high level jutsus?_

"Why are you playing around?" he asked the Uchiha. "If you're so good, why don't you use a powerful jutsu to take me down. Why play games?"

Itachi smirked.

"I'm not stupid. I'd rather keep my high level jutsu for when I need them, not just to show off. But if you insist… I'll use a slightly stronger technique." He disappeared. Taro looked round for him. Suddenly he got kicked from below and went flying into the air, pursued by Itachi.

"Kage Buyō…" the young Uchiha said. "Followed by…" he pummelled Taro down to earth, which knocked the Suna ninja out on impact. "Shishi Rendan!" He landed neatly and waited. Shino walked up to Taro and turned him over.

"The winner is… Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure." The stadium erupted. Itachi chose to make his way back up to the viewing gallery to see who he would have to face in the final. "Would Kai Jun no Konohagakure and Tadashi no Amegakure please make their way down to the arena," Shino said. The other two shinobi walked down the steps to where Shino was waiting.

"Begin."

_Kurosu no jutsu!_ Tadashi had performed the jutsu almost before Shino had finished speaking.

"Kuchiyose: Ishi Bashirisuku!" Jun said, once again summoning the anti-genjutsu beast. Tadashi laughed cruelly.

"You think that'll stop me beating you?" he inquired. His dark skinned opponent shrugged.

"Could do," the quiet boy said. Tadashi scowled at him.

_I'd hoped that he'd be discouraged by my previous fights. But then again, he does know Uchiha Itachi, so perhaps he thinks I'm not as strong. Oh well. He'll have to learn the hard way. I want to fight Uchiha in the final match and no-one is going to stop me._

Jun looked at the Ame ninja calmly. The basilisk looked at him and he nodded. The mythological creature swiped at the young Ame ninja. Tadashi gasped as a deep cut formed across his arm. He then smirked in triumph as the basilisk howled in pain. It had also been wounded. It glared at Jun, thinking that it had been a trick and Jun had done it on purpose. But when it saw the puzzlement on the dark boy's face, it realised that he had not planned it.

"What is that jutsu of yours?" Jun asked Tadashi, who shrugged.

"It's my kekkei genkai – Kurosu. You don't stand a chance against it."

Jun glared at him.

"Whatever." _Kuchiyose: Goburin Kaidame!_ A gang of green-skinned goblins appeared. _Ishi Bashirisuku: Dispel! _The basilisk disappeared. Jun stayed stock still. It had been a risk, summoning the goblin pack. They were allianced to no-one, so he was in as much danger as Tadashi. The Ame ninja laughed.

"Scared?" he asked. The goblins locked their gaze onto him and snarled. As one they rushed at him. Tadashi's eyes widened in shock.

_Of course! He wasn't moving because they attack anything that moves. All I have to do is force him to move… and he'll be attacked by his own Kuchiyose! Kuchiyose: Joro Senbon!_ An umbrella appeared in the sky and pelted Jun with senbon. Instinctively, he raised his arms to protect his head before realising his mistake. The goblins nearest to him had seen the movement and were targeting **him**.

_Damn that Ame ninja! Everything is going his way!_ Jun thought furiously. _Goburin Kaidame: Dispel!_ The goblins disappeared – but not before one of the stronger ones had managed to carve a deep gash in Jun's chest. Similarly, Tadashi was also cut open by the goblins.

"_Now it's about our stamina,"_ they both thought. _"Who passes out from blood loss first?"_ They both drew kunai and charged at each other (The Kurosu had dissipated). The knives clashed and both their arms started to shake as they lost blood rapidly. Faster than the eye could follow, Tadashi drew a second kunai and stabbed Jun in the side. The Konoha ninja collapsed.


	16. Interview

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

_The knives clashed and both their arms started to shake as they lost blood rapidly. Faster than the eye could follow, Tadashi drew a second kunai and stabbed Jun in the side. The Konoha ninja collapsed._

Chapter 16 – Interview

"The winner is… Tadashi no Amegakure," Shino said. "Again, there will be a half hour break before the final match."

Medics appeared and hurriedly took both Jun and Tadashi away to be healed. Itachi followed, having no wish to be singled out by the spectators piling out of their seats to get a glimpse of the finalists. Hands gripped both of his shoulders and he looked round to see Kisame and Hanabusa.

"Well done," they said. He responded with a nod.

"I'm proud of you," his uncle said, stepping up behind him. Itachi nodded again. He gasped as Tani hugged him tightly.

"You're in the final!" she said, proud of her big brother. Itachi grinned and ruffled her hair, earning himself a scowl.

"I know I am, Tani," he said fondly. He looked up. "Uh-oh." He could see a trio of academy students making their way towards him. Mikoto and her ANBU squad appeared out of nowhere.

"Nice one," Arisu said. "Just watching you makes me want to kill something!" Hana elbowed her.

"You're the most bloodthirsty person I know!" she scolded.

"That's not a bad thing!" Arisu protested.

"Break it up you two," Mikoto said, exasperated.

"Yes, Mik," they said, wary of their teammate's temper. But Arisu was never quiet for long.

"Do you think you can beat that Ame guy?" she asked Itachi, acting like an interviewer. He shrugged.

"Probably."

"Ooh. Confident, aren't we?" she said.

"Shh, Arisu," Kurisotufuaa said.

"Make me!"

Itachi sighed, knowing full well how argumentative she could be.

"Could you guys shut it? You're giving me a headache," his uncle said. Arisu immediately smiled sweetly at him.

"Sorry," she said. She had taken a shine to him, possibly because he'd spent time with another ninja from Kiri so he knew how to treat her.

"That Ame ninja's no big deal," Rebatsuka said, her head protruding from the front of her sister's neck. "After all, I managed to freak him out pretty easily!"

"Itachi-san!" an academy student said, having finally made her way to where the small group were. "Itachi-san!" He looked at the girl.

_I'm not in the mood for this,_ he thought.

"Yes?" _ Be civil._

"Could you spare a moment to talk to us, please? We're doing an article about the exams for the academy newsletter!" _No. Go away._

"OK." _Grr. I really don't want to but they're not going to leave me alone until I say yes._

"How do you feel, having made it through to the final?" the girl asked. _Terrified._

"It wasn't too hard so I'm not that nervous," he said. _Lies. All lies._

"How hard would you say the previous exams were?" _A pain in the neck._

"Not too hard – I didn't really struggle."

*Five minutes of questioning later*

"Wow, you're amazing! Thanks for talking to us!"

"Thanks. And it wasn't a problem." _I'm not that great and it wasn't as if you gave me a choice. Now get lost._ He barely contained a sigh of relief as they walked away.

"Did you enjoy that?" Arisu asked wickedly.

"No."

"Thought not."

"Were you telling the truth?" inquired Hana.

"No."

"Thought not."

"Predictable, aren't we?" Rebatsuka commented.

"Shut up."

"Here's an idea – why don't you save all this energy you're bottling up for the fight?" Arisu said.

"Thank **you** for stating the obvious."

"No probs."

"Try getting some rest," Mikoto suggested, interrupting Arisu before she could antagonise Itachi any more.

"She's got a point – after all, this match isn't going to be easy so you may have to use **that**," her uncle advised. "And **that** takes up a lot of stamina." Wordlessly, Itachi headed to the infirmary to sit down.

"**That**?" Mikoto asked her uncle. "What's **that**?"

He shrugged mysteriously.

"Just a little something Itachi and I came up with as an 'ace in the hole'."

"You're making no sense."

"Tough."

Arisu laughed.

"You'll get no more out of him, Mik," she pointed out. "Let's go back to our seats. The fight's gonna start soon."

"Like I didn't know." _I hope you'll be alright, Itachi. That Ame ninja's no pushover._

"He'll be fine," her uncle said, as though reading her thoughts.

Quickly, Itachi made his way to the infirmary. Upon arriving there, he looked for a suitable hiding place, having no wish to be interviewed again. Catching sight of the boy's bathroom, he entered and locked himself in a cubicle where no-one could find him. Perching on the closed toilet lid, he hugged his knees and thought about the upcoming match.

Ten minutes later, he realised that it was time he headed back to the arena. As he emerged from the bathroom, he met Tadashi, also heading to the arena. They walked together in silence, back to the grassy area that Kiba and Akamaru had just cleared of spectators.

"Ready?" Shino asked them. They nodded, glaring at each other.

"Said your goodbyes?" Tadashi hissed.

"Have **you**?" Itachi responded.

"The final match is between Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure and Tadashi no Amegakure," Shino announced.

"Beg- START!" He refused to say 'begin' anymore.

_Kurosu no jutsu!_

_Sharingan!_

Both kekkei genkai were activated. Right from the start, every person knew that it would be the most spectacular match of the exam. Or maybe ever. Both were so similar. Itachi was one of the strongest shinobi in Konohagakure. Tadashi was one of the strongest shinobi in Amegakure. And neither wanted to lose.

**Dun dun DUUN! **_**THE**_** major match is about to start… and I've left it on a cliffy :P**

**Reviews please! (I'm debating about leaving it for two weeks so you'll have to convince me otherwise!)**


	17. Kurosu vs Sharingan

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

_Both kekkei genkai were activated. Right from the start, every person knew that it would be the most spectacular match of the exam. Or maybe ever. Both were so similar. Itachi was one of the strongest shinobi in Konohagakure. Tadashi was one of the strongest shinobi in Amegakure. And neither wanted to lose._

Chapter 17 – Kurosu vs. Sharingan

"Too scared to make the first move?" Tadashi taunted. Itachi didn't answer. "Coward!" Itachi glared.

"You're the coward. You're too scared to attack me so you're opting to use taunts instead," he countered. Tadashi snarled and started to move forwards, but stopped.

"Clever. Trying to goad me into attacking blindly through rage." Tadashi grinned. "But not clever enough!" He stabbed Itachi in the back. The Tadashi that had talked turned into water.

"A Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu," Itachi commented. He seemed unconcerned that a kunai was embedded in his back.

"What the…" Tadashi gasped as Itachi turned to water. "A Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu? But how?"

A fireball roared towards him, followed by a Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu. He dodged both before glaring at the Uchiha.

"You know nothing," Itachi said. "My kekkei genkai isn't just for show."

"Nor is mine!" Tadashi snarled. _Saikō Kurosu!_ A visible Chakra shield appeared around him. Itachi studied it thoughtfully as he carefully maintained his distance. Suddenly, it shot forwards, so fast that Itachi could barely evade it.

"You're fast," Tadashi noted. "I don't think I've seen someone move as fast as you do."

"I have to be this fast…" Itachi said, dodging some more attacks from the Saikō Kurosu. "… So I can do this." He ran with incredible speed towards Tadashi, evading and outpacing the kekkei genkai. His hands moved so fast that the handsigns weren't even visible as a blur. The traditional chirping noise accompanied the Chidori as it formed and struck Tadashi. Not a fatal wound – it hit his arm – but it was enough to make Tadashi howl in pain.

"What was that?" he gasped. Itachi grinned.

"Chidori." He coughed as the Kurosu whirled past him, clipping his arm. Blood erupted from his mouth. The injury was internal, Itachi realised. Bad news. He jumped back, away from the kekkei genkai. His Sharingan tracked every move that Tadashi made. The Ame ninja drew a kunai and charged at Itachi, weaving so that he was harder to track. Itachi didn't draw a kunai. He blocked the strike with his armguards. The cloth was cut and Tadashi saw the armguards. The slashed sleeved fell away and there was a gasp when everyone saw the handmade protectors.

"Aren't they pretty?" Tadashi sneered. "Who made them? Your girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"What about the ANBU girl that's always hanging around with you?" The audience that didn't know who Mikoto was gasped again.

"That's my **sister**."

"Thought you looked rather alike."

"Quit with the chat!" Itachi drew his katana. _Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidorigatana!_ The sword glowed blue with Chakra.

"You like Chidori things, don't you?" Tadashi said. "Is that all you can do?"

"You'd better hope you don't see all that I can do – you probably won't survive." Itachi grinned at Tadashi's outraged expression.

"Let's see these deadly techniques, then." _Fuiton: Kūki no satsujin no jutsu!_ Itachi couldn't breathe and his jutsu dissipated.

_Damn it, this guy's strong!_ he thought. _I'm going to have to use __**that**__, like Uncle said. May as well start, then._

"You can't breathe, and your Katon jutsus are useless too…" Tadashi trailed off. "What is **that**?" he gasped, looking at Itachi.

"What's what?" Itachi asked pleasantly.

"Decided to jazz up your kekkei genkai?" Tadashi asked. "How sad."

"This is the **true** power of my kekkei genkai," Itachi said. "I haven't just 'jazzed it up'."

In the stands, Sasuke gasped and looked accusingly at his brother.

"Please tell me he's not talking about what I think he's talking about!" he said. Itachi shook his head.

"That's exactly what he's talking about."

"What is it, Dad?" Mikoto asked. Sasuke didn't answer – he was too busy glaring at his brother.

"How?"

"We found a way around the rules – don't worry," Itachi assured his younger brother.

"What is it?" Mikoto demanded.

"I thought the Sharingan **was** the true power of your kekkei genkai," Tadashi commented. So what's that?"

"It's called the Mangekyō Sharingan. Far more powerful than the average Sharingan, it's a rare power that very few people get."

"So what if it's far more powerful than the Sharingan? It still can't compare to Kurosu!" The Ame ninja's kekkei genkai attacked Itachi, who dodged it. _What?_ thought Tadashi. _How come he can still breathe?_ When Itachi ignited a fireball and sent it roaring his way, he realised that the Fuiton: Kūki no satsujin no jutsu had dissipated, and that Itachi was stronger than before. _What is that Mangekyō Sharingan, aside from bad news for me? _he wondered. He threw a handful of shuriken towards the Uchiha, who countered them with his own.

"I can sense Chakra," Tadashi told Itachi. "And your Chakra levels are going down rapidly."

"I can **see** Chakra, and your levels are going down fast, like mine. We'll run out at the same time," Itachi responded. Simultaneously, they drew some kunai and sprang to attack.

The audience gasped as the ring of metal on metal was heard ringing through the stadium. Tadashi tried to pull the same trick that he had done on Jun, but Itachi disengaged, so he couldn't.

Their skill with weapons was equal so neither could get the advantage over the other. The audience started to get restless.

"This is boring."

"I expected a more spectacular match than this."

"Is this the best these two have got? Did they get this far on pure luck?"

The Uchiha family glared at the mutterers. They had faith in Itachi.

"He'll win," Arisu said, sitting with the Uchihas. "He's just playing with that Ame ninja." Sasuke and Sakura glared at her.

"Arisu's right," Itachi said. "He's waiting until Tadashi's Chakra levels are lower."

"I hope you're right," Mikoto murmured.

Suddenly Tadashi separated from Itachi, who grinned.

"What's so funny?" Tadashi demanded. "We're both getting very low on Chakra."

Itachi didn't answer. _Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu! Time to see if I've remembered it right._ Tadashi dodged the flames._ Amaterasu!_ Tadashi gasped as black flames took hold in the dirt. There was an ominous rumble overhead.

"Oh dear," Tadashi mocked. "What a shame. Your pretty black flames are about to get extinguished by a storm!"

Itachi laughed.

"I wasn't aiming for you when I created the Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu." A single bolt of lightning struck his outstretched palm. "That and Amaterasu created enough heat to form a thundercloud…"

"No way!" Tadashi gasped. "You created the storm?" Itachi nodded.

_Kirin!_ The lightning left his hand and struck Tadashi. _Susanoo!_ Tadashi screamed as the lightning hit him, but then he grinned.

"Anything that happens to me, happens to you!" he shouted gleefully. The lightning rebounded off him and struck Itachi. A skeletal beast formed around the Uchiha, protecting him. Once the thunderclouds had cleared, Itachi released the protection and walked over to Tadashi. The Ame ninja was still conscious, just.

_Thank goodness Kurosu stopped me from suffering fatal damage,_ Tadashi thought before passing out.

Shino stepped up.

"The winner is… Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure!" The roar of the crowd was deafening, but Itachi didn't hear it. The world spun and he passed out.

**So there you have it. Itachi managed to beat Tadashi… just. I hope this fight wasn't a letdown… The next stage is… who passed? Wait and see… The results may surprise you…**

**Oh, and to "**zzz**" who gave this story its first ever flame – thank you for being honest and I do realise that most of my fight scenes suck, but there is more to this story than the Chuunin exams and I don't make the Uchihas invincible, although I realise that I may have created some perfect characters, despite my best efforts not to. Your review meant a lot to me – I welcome flames as much as any other review.**

**And I said that I'd answer any inquiries: So to "**Dragon Jadefire**", yes, I do read Vampire Knight!**

**Who realised that Itachi had the Mangekyō? Be honest. I did drop some hints. If you don't believe me, re-read chapter 13 and chapter 16. He uses it in chapter 13 and his uncle talks about it in chapter 16… Go on! Check!**

**Reviews please!**


	18. Hospital

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_The winner is… Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure!" The roar of the crowd was deafening, but Itachi didn't hear it. The world spun and he passed out._

Chapter 18 – Hospital

The sixteen Chuunin that hadn't made it to the final match waited in a large room in the infirmary. They all wanted to know who had won the match, and so were annoyed that they hadn't been allowed to watch it. They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, they heard a large cheer from the direction of the arena.

"Sounds like it's over," Hiroshi commented. His squad mates nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like Uchiha just lost to Tadashi," Koushi said. "As there's no way Tadashi could lose." The Konoha ninja scowled at him.

"You **fought** Itachi and you're **still** underestimating him?" Kisame asked disbelievingly. The door opened and the two Kages in attendance entered.

"Who won?" everyone asked in unison. Naruto laughed.

"Eager, aren't we?" he said. "It wasn't a disappointing match, I'll say that. Both fought very well."

"Who won?" the sixteen Chuunin repeated impatiently.

"Itachi did." Naruto couldn't keep it from them any longer. The Ame ninja looked appalled.

"Only just, though," Gaara added.

"What does that mean?" Hanabi demanded.

"Put it this way – they're both unconscious in the hospital," the Kazekage replied.

"If they're **both** out of it, how come Uchiha won?" Koushi demanded.

"He defeated Tadashi and was declared the winner **before **he passed out," Naruto explained. "They both used up all their Chakra."

"**Ita-kun** used up **all** his Chakra?" Hanabi said disbelievingly. The two Kages nodded.

"It sounds absurd, knowing his Chakra levels, but it's true. But the Mangekyō Sharingan **does** take up a lot of Chakra," Naruto said.

"Since when did he have the Mangekyō?" Kisame asked. "He didn't two weeks ago." Naruto shrugged.

"What's a Mangekyō Sharingan?" Hiroshi asked. "I've never heard of it."

"It's a more powerful version of the Sharingan that's very rare – that's all I can say," Naruto explained. "Now that I've told you who's won, I can go and figure out which of you lovely Chuunin will graduate as Jounin." And with that he left.

There was a stunned silence which lasted for about thirty seconds before the two Ame ninja began to glare at the Konoha ninja, who gazed back at them.

"And Itachi thinks **I'm **immature," Arisu commented. "But you lot are acting like a bunch of five year olds."

The Suna ninja chuckled.

"Are we included in that?" Taro asked. She glared at him.

"Yes."

He gulped and shut up.

"How's Ita-kun?" Hanabi asked the ANBU girl. Arisu shrugged.

"As well as can be expected with all his Chakra drained," she answered. "Basically, he's probably gonna be out of it for a few days." Hanabi looked down.

_Was that Ame ninja really that strong?_ she wondered. A young lady with blonde hair and amber eyes entered.

"Hanabi? Kisame? Can you come with me, please?" she asked. They nodded and followed her out the room.

"What is it? Tsunade-sama?" Hanabi asked her as they followed her to the hospital. The Sannin didn't answer. Eventually, they stopped outside a hospital room.

"What is it?" Hanabi repeated.

"This is important, so listen carefully," Tsunade said, opening the door. She entered, followed by the two teens.

"Ita-kun!" Hanabi gasped.

"Itachi!" Kisame said at the same time. Their teammate was lying in the hospital bed, eyes closed.

"Listen to me," Tsunade repeated. "Itachi has gained a formidable power – but that's why he's unconscious. Have you heard of the Mangekyō Sharingan?" Both teens nodded. "It's a magnificent power, but costly to use due to the vast amount of Chakra and stamina needed to sustain it." The teens nodded again. "You need to make sure he doesn't overuse it – because one day it could blind him, maybe even kill him." They nodded **again**, more vigorously than before.

"When'll he wake up?" Kisame asked. Tsunade shrugged.

"I can't tell for sure."

"Roughly," Hanabi said. The Sannin thought hard.

"Anytime between tomorrow and next week," she said. "But I can't be certain. It's not something we can heal – we just have to wait for his body to recover on its own." The two teens nodded in understanding. Hanabi sat on the chair by the bed as she stroked Itachi's hair.

"He's so pale," she said. "I mean, he's pale normally, but he's virtually white. IS that normal?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Perfectly normal – don't worry about it."

Hanabi smiled, relieved. They heard footsteps outside before the door opened.

"How is he?" Mikoto asked. She entered, followed by Tani.

"He'll be fine," Tsunade said. "I'm surprised it's just you two. Where are your father and uncle?"

"Tani and I slipped away – they're arguing about something," Mikoto explained. Tsunade laughed.

"Why am I not surprised?" she commented. "You guys can go when you feel like it." With that she left, shutting the door behind her. Mikoto sat on the bed and gazed at her brother.

"He fought well," she said. "He deserves some rest."

Tani nodded in agreement. She walked to the door.

"We should leave him in peace," she said. Hanabi and Kisame followed her out. Mikoto stood up and pushed Itachi's hair back from his face. Bending down, she gently kissed his forehead.

"Sleep well, Itachi," she whispered. Her fingers deftly straightened the covers before she too left the room, silently closing the door behind her.

*Three Days Later*

Itachi moaned as he regained consciousness. _Where am I?_ he thought. There was something soft beneath him, and something else was covering him. _I'm in a bed,_ he realised. _How did I get here?_ He opened his eyes. As he had expected, he was in the hospital.

"Woken up at last?" Tsunade asked, standing next to him. He nodded. "You've been out three days."

"Three days?" he asked, incredulous. She nodded.

"And you've had a lot of visitors." The Sannin laughed, making Itachi wince. "You're very popular." The door opened and the Uchiha family walked in. Their eyes widened when they saw that Itachi was awake.

"Woken up, huh?"Sasuke asked. Itachi grinned.

"Yup."

Mikoto walked over to him and sat on the edge of his bed. Tsunade left to give the family some privacy. As soon as the door closed, Itachi sat up. To his chagrin, he realised that it took a lot of effort so he leaned against the headboard. His uncle walked over and ruffled his hair.

"Nice to have you back," he said. Itachi shrugged and then winced as his body protested. Sakura's sharp eyes didn't miss it.

"Lie down," she said. "You've only just come round so your body's not used to moving." Itachi crossed his arms – hiding the wince – and refused. Her eyes narrowed dangerously but Tani stood in the way.

"Leave him be, Mummy," she said sternly. "He's getting used to moving."

"You're being too protective, Sakura," Sasuke said. "He's sixteen, not six." Sakura glared at her husband but relented.

"Those armguards surprised me," Sasuke's brother said. "I didn't know you had them." The rest of his family, aside from Mikoto, nodded in agreement. Itachi looked down.

"I'm more annoyed that he cut the sleeves off my top – it was my favourite," he said. His father gaped at him.

"You're more annoyed that your top was cut than the fact that everyone saw those armguards?" he asked. "You're crazy!"

"No I'm not – it was my favourite top!" Itachi said. "And anyone with half a brain that took the Jounin exams would have figured out I had them." Mikoto nodded in agreement.

"Did you know about his armguards?" Sasuke asked her suddenly. She grinned.

"I **made** them," she said. "When he passed the Chuunin exam." She couldn't help laughing at her father's expression.

**End of another chapter. And you still don't know who passed. I'll stand by what I said last chapter – the results may surprise you…**

**Review please!**


	19. New Jounin

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

_Mikoto nodded in agreement._

"_Did you know about his armguards?" Sasuke asked her suddenly. She grinned._

"_I made them," she said. "When he passed the Chuunin exam." She couldn't help laughing at her father's expression._

Chapter 19 – New Jounin

Two days later, the eighteen Chuunin were all assembled in the arena, facing the Hokage and Kazekage. Various Jounin were standing nearby, including Sasuke, Suigetsu and Mikoto.

"Your examiners, the Kazekage and I have been debating about who to promote to Jounin level. We have now decided," Naruto said.

"We will now announce who has, and hasn't, been promoted," Gaara continued. "Starting with the candidates from Amegakure."

"Koushi no Amegakure," Naruto said. "You fought bravely in all of your matches, but for a Jounin, bravery is not enough. You remain a Chuunin." The big ninja looked down.

"Tadashi no Amegakure," Gaara said. "You used no jutsu that wasn't required and carefully assessed your opponent's abilities. From now on, you are a Jounin." There was no expression on the green haired boy's face.

"Megumi no Amegakure," Naruto said. "Your skill in genjutsu is impressive. However, while you were casting it, you fell into the trap that was laid and so you remain a Chuunin." The kunoichi sighed.

"Taro no Sunagakure," Gaara said. "You fought well, but took some unnecessary risks which a Jounin never does so you remain a Chuunin." Taro looked at his uncle emotionlessly.

"Mamoru no Sunagakure," Naruto said. "You used all the space available to you in a well planned way. From now on, you are a Jounin." The redhead didn't respond.

"Usagi no Sunagakure," said Gaara. "You, too, fought well, but not at the skill required of a Jounin. Therefore, you will remain a Chuunin." Like Taro, she gazed at her uncle with no expression on her face.

"Nara Hiroshi no Konohagakure," Naruto said. "You fought well and successfully analysed your opponent's jutsu. Therefore, you are now a Jounin." Hiroshi nodded in recognition of his new status.

"Shirasei Deidara no Konohagakure," said Gaara. "Despite fighting bravely, it was not at Jounin standard and so you remain a Chuunin." The blind teen didn't react.

"Hyuuga Hidé no Konohagakure," said Naruto. "You were easily succumbed and so are not yet at Jounin standard. You remain a Chuunin." The Hyuuga girl shrugged.

"Tsukiko Hanabusa no Konohagakure," said Gaara. "Again, you fought well, but not at Jounin standard. You remain a Chuunin." The tall boy didn't react.

"Kai Jun no Konohagakure," Naruto said. "You analysed all your opponents and fought accordingly. You are now a Jounin." The animal lover looked up, startled.

"Uzumaki Aiko no Konohagakure," said Gaara. "You fought bravely, but not at the level of skill expected of a Jounin. You remain a Chuunin." Aiko didn't react.

"Ryu Isas no Konohagakure," said Naruto. "You fought according to your opponent's rules, and didn't make him follow yours. You remain a Chuunin." The blonde boy had an 'I-don't-care' look on his face.

"Uzumaki Kaname no Konohagakure," said Gaara. "Despite your kekkei genkai, you underestimated your opponent, which a Jounin never does, therefore you remain a Chuunin." She shrugged.

"Nara Kei no Konohagakure," said Naruto. "You fought intelligently, but not at the level required. You remain a Chuunin." Kei look rather miffed that her brother had passed but she hadn't.

"Tsukiko Kisame no Konohagakure," said Gaara. "You fought, not by your rules, but by your opponent's, therefore you remain a Chuunin." Kisame looked like he couldn't care less.

"Uchiha Itachi no Konohagakure," Naruto said. There was total silence. "Not once in any of your fights did you do anything unnecessary. You are now a Jounin." Itachi could see the pride on his father's face.

"Hōzuki Hanabi no Konohagakure," said Gaara. "Your style is unusual, but purely defensive. A Jounin fights offensively as well as defensively, so you remain a Chuunin." Hanabi didn't seem to care.

"New Jounin step forward," Naruto commanded. Tadashi, Mamoru, Hiroshi, Jun and Itachi obeyed.

"Congratulations on making it to Jounin level," Gaara said. "We are all proud of you." Then the formalities were over. **(A/N: Finally!")**

"You made it, Ita-kun!" Hanabi said, seizing her teammate in a tight hug. One by one, all the Konoha candidates congratulated him and the other new Jounin.

"Well done," Sasuke said, walking over to him. Itachi nodded in acknowledgement of his father's words. Mikoto hugged him tightly.

"I knew you'd make it!" she said. "Don't worry, Isas," she said to her boyfriend. "There's always next time."

"Good one!" Arisu said, thumping him on the back. "One more step and you'll be on a par with me!" Itachi shrugged.

Tani yanked her brother's hair, making him wince.

"You show off!" she said. Itachi laughed and ruffled her hair, earning himself a glare. Sakura came over to congratulate him.

"I'm proud of you," she said.

After about ten minutes of congratulations, Itachi looked around for his uncle, realising that he hadn't seen him since the announcements. As the crowd around him ebbed he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking around, he saw his elusive uncle.

"Itachi, Mikoto, Tani," the older Uchiha said, gaining his nieces' attention. "Come with me." He walked off and they followed him into a dark area of the surrounding forest.

**OK… maybe I lied and it was really obvious… Never mind.**

**What does Itachi want with his brother's children? Why a dark area of the forest? You'll have to wait, won't you?**

**Review please! I know this chapter was REEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY boring, but it had to be done. The next one's much more interesting… honest!**


	20. Secrets of the Uchiha

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_Itachi, Mikoto, Tani," the older Uchiha said, gaining his nieces' attention. "Come with me." He walked off and they followed him into a dark area of the surrounding forest._

Chapter 20 – Secrets of the Uchiha

"What is it, Uncle?" Mikoto asked when they finally stopped in a small clearing. The older Uchiha sat down on a stump and gestured for them to do the same. Warily, they did so.

"I need to talk to you three in private," Itachi told his brother's children. "First of all… well done, Itachi." His nephew shrugged.

"What else did you want to tell us?" Mikoto asked. Her uncle grinned.

"I think it's time you three learnt about the clan," he said.

"But Daddy…" Tani said. Her uncle held up a hand to stop her.

"Sasuke doesn't know much about the clan, really," he said. "He was too young to learn about these things before everyone… died." His nieces and nephew nodded to show that they knew what he was talking about.

"Anyway," he continued. "There are many jutsus that are used mainly by the Uchiha clan. You already know some, such as Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu. All our jutsus are Katon."

"Why?" Tani asked. He looked at her inquiringly.

"Why…" he said.

"Why are they all Katon?" she asked.

"All members of the Uchiha clan have Katon chakra," her uncle explained. "I'm not going to teach you any of our jutsu now – we don't have enough time-" he chuckled at their downcast faces. "… But I am going to tell you something just as important." He fell silent.

"What?" his nephew asked.

"Have you ever wondered where our clan symbol comes from?" he asked.

"I just accepted it," Mikoto admitted. Her uncle laughed.

"Because no-one ever mentioned it – am I right?" he asked. She nodded. "Well I can tell you it's not just a pretty picture that someone came up with," he told them. "It's a picture of an uchiwa – a fan designed to help flames burn." Tani's eyes widened.

"Does that represent the fact that we all have Katon Chakra?" she asked. Her uncle grinned.

"You're pretty smart. Yes, that's partially what it shows. It also shows our determination and ambition that burns within each member of the clan," he explained. His brother's children watched him intently, waiting for him to continue. He stood up. "OK, that's all for now. We'd better head back before they start searching for us." The young Uchihas looked disappointed, but followed him back to the arena.

"There you are, Itachi," Sasuke said, walking over to his son. "Where have you been?" Itachi glanced at his uncle who put a hand on his shoulder.

"I needed to talk to him and his sisters in private," the older Uchiha said. Itachi, Mikoto and Tani nodded in agreement. Sasuke sighed.

"Just don't disappear like that. At least **tell** me before you go."

"Da-ad!" Itachi said. "I'm not a little kid anymore." His uncle laughed. Sasuke glared at them for as long as he could before he too grinned.

"Fine. You win." He saw a trio of academy students interviewing the new Jounins. "Let's go." His family quickly caught onto his meaning and dispersed. Itachi meandered towards the exit, being careful to avoid the twelve year olds that were looking for him. As soon as he escaped the crowd, he transformed into an older Jounin and walked home.

Once he was safely in his house, he undid the Henge no Jutsu. No-one else had arrived so he sank down onto the sofa. _I'll just have a short nap,_ he thought, surprised at how tired he was. After all, it wasn't as though it had been a long day – had it? Thinking about it, Itachi realised that he'd hardly had any sleep the previous night because of nerves. That morning he'd trained like crazy (the ceremony had been at 4:00pm, but the announcements hadn't started until 5:00pm). It was now 6:00pm. Not to mention the fact that he still wasn't fully recovered from his fight a week previously. So you couldn't blame him for wanting a short sleep…

When the rest of the Uchiha family arrived home ten minutes later, they were amused to find him on the sofa, asleep. Sasuke smirked.

"Someone's tired," he commented. "He may as well sleep in his own bed though, not here." He picked his son up and carried him to his bedroom.

"We may as well have something to eat," Sakura said before going into the kitchen.

"**Not** omusubi!" Tani called after her. "And no tomatoes!" Her mother's tinkling laugh could be heard as she prepared a meal for the five of them (she would get Itachi something when he woke up). Not long afterwards, the Uchiha family minus Itachi were sitting around the table, enjoying a meal that didn't contain omubusi or tomatoes.

"Do you have any missions tomorrow?" Itachi asked his eldest niece, who shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't **think** so, but sometimes missions get sprung on us," she said.

"OK. How about you, Tani?" he asked the younger girl.

"We don't get told in advance 'cause we're Genin. It depends if Jenifaa-sensei decides to accept a mission or not," she said.

"Well, if neither of you have a mission tomorrow, would you like to train with me?" their uncle asked. They both nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, please!"

Sasuke looked intrigued.

"You can come too, Sasuke," Itachi said, seeing his brother's interest. Sasuke declined.

"I think I'll let the kids train without me," he said. "Anyway, I've got a mission tomorrow." His family looked at him, interested.

"You never said that!" Sakura accused her husband, who shrugged.

"I was going to…" he muttered. "… At some point."

"What is it?" Mikoto asked.

"I'm not quite sure – I'll get the details tomorrow morning – but it involves the Akatsuki," her father replied, looking at his brother. The atmosphere changed instantly.

"Akatsuki? Isn't that a criminal organisation?" Mikoto asked. Sasuke nodded.

"As far as I'm aware, it's just a reconnaissance mission," he said. "They've been getting rather active as of late." His brother nodded.

"They're renewing their plans to get the Kyuubi," he said. Tani looked puzzled as her elder sister and parents gasped.

"I thought the Kyuubi was dead," she said. The four adults looked at her.

"Just forget you heard that for now," Mikoto told her sister. "And remember it when you turn eighteen." Tani scowled.

"Look," Sakura told her. "If it makes you any happier, Itachi doesn't know either." Tani brightened when she heard that. "But for now, why don't you go to bed. I know it's early, but if you have a mission tomorrow then it's good for you, and even if you don't, your uncle's 'training' tomorrow will be tough." Tani scowled but did as she was told.

Once she was out of earshot, the adults continued their conversation.

"Does Naruto know?" Sasuke asked. Itachi nodded.

"I told him as soon as I could," he said.

"So are the Akatsuki really a threat, with so few members left?" Mikoto asked her uncle. To her surprise, it was her father who answered.

"None of the Akatsuki are pushovers," he told her. "Your uncle may have been one of the strongest members, but the three that are left are all formidable shinobi."

"How do you know?" Mikoto asked, curious. Sasuke looked down.

"Briefly, I was a member," he said quietly. "So were Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo." Mikoto looked shocked. So did Sakura.

"You never told me that!" she said. Sasuke shrugged.

"It wasn't for very long," he muttered. "And it wasn't as if we had a choice. Madara dragged us in because they were short on numbers."

"Who's left?" Mikoto asked.

"Hoshigaki Kisame no Kirigakure, Zetsu no Kusagakure and their leader, Uchiha Madara no Konohagakure," her uncle said. "And they're all trouble." Sakura was still seething.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" she said. Sasuke shrugged.

"If you don't believe me, look in my wardrobe. My cloak's in there."

Sakura scowled.

"Cloak?" Mikoto asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Every member of Akatsuki wears an identical cloak," he said.

"You've seen mine," her uncle chipped in. "I was wearing it when Itachi and his teammates brought me back." Mikoto nodded.

"I remember."

"I'm going to bed," Sakura announced, standing up. The others watched her walk up the stairs and into the bedroom that she shared with Sasuke.

"You'd better go, too," Itachi told his brother, who nodded and followed his wife upstairs. When he entered their bedroom, he saw her standing in front of his wardrobe, holding that cloak with red clouds decorating the otherwise black fabric. He walked up to her and put his arms around her, burying his face in her hair.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into her pink locks. "I should have told you." He regretted not telling her, and it showed in the form of tears that rolled down his cheeks. Sakura felt her hair dampen and turned with difficulty, putting her arms around her husband.

"It's OK," she said, burying her hand in his hair. "I was just a bit shocked, that's all." She pulled him close and kissed him passionately. Gratefully, Sasuke kissed her back.

"Thank you."

Downstairs, Mikoto looked at the dirty bowls and sighed.

"I suppose I'm the one that's going to have to wash up," she said. Before her uncle could say anything, she stacked the crockery and took it out to the kitchen, where she proceeded to clean them.

"You seem to look after your parents more than they seem to look after you," her uncle commented, following her. She shrugged.

"I'm old enough to look after myself," she said. "But sometimes I wonder if they are." Itachi chuckled.

"Well they don't act like it," he said. Mikoto smiled in return.

"I know." They fell silent. The only sound was the splashing of water as Mikoto washed up the dirty crockery. She had just finished when someone yawned behind her uncle. Spinning round, they saw Itachi, who looked very tired.

"Want something to eat?" Mikoto asked her half-asleep brother, who nodded. "Go sit down; there won't be too long a wait." He obeyed; making his way to the table and watching his sister prepare some food. "Here you go," she said, placing a bowl of miso ramen in front of him. He picked up his chopsticks and tiredly began to eat.

"I'd say that someone's very tired," his uncle commented. Itachi shrugged and ate his food in silence. As soon as he was finished, Mikoto whisked away the bowl and washed it up.

"Bed," she said. Itachi glared at her but stood and made his way upstairs. His uncle noticed that he was swaying and moved to support him, catching him as he collapsed.

"Forget your parents – your brother doesn't look after himself," he commented as he carried his sleeping nephew upstairs to bed. Mikoto laughed.

"I know. Sometimes I think he takes me for granted, expecting me to always be there to tell him when he's reached his limit." She sighed. "I don't think he realises I'm not immortal – one day I'll die. After all, isn't that the one fate we all share equally?" She shook her head. "For a Jounin, he's very naïve." Her uncle paused and turned, his nephew in his arms.

"He knows that at some point you'll go – just like everyone else he knows," he said. "He just doesn't want to come to terms with it yet; it's a hard thing to accept – it took me years."

Everyone says that emotion is a shinobi's greatest weakness," Mikoto said. "But most people don't know just how true that is. It drives us to our ruin; I know many people who have died because they cared for someone too much." Her uncle nodded.

"So have I," he said solemnly before continuing upstairs. "We may as well have an early night," he added. Mikoto nodded and followed him upstairs. She peered into her parents' room and smiled, pleased to see that they were both asleep. She then checked that Tani was asleep. She was. Finally, she entered her brother's room. Her uncle was still there, covering the teen up.

"It's hard, growing up," he said when he noticed her. She nodded.

"It's a part of life that everyone goes through," she said. "Losing your naivety and being introduced to the real world – it happens to everyone." Her uncle nodded.

"I had to grow up earlier than most," he said. "That's because there was a war raging for the first few years of my life." Mikoto nodded.

"Itachi and Tani are lucky that they're not in the position that we are – they still have some of their innocence. But I fear it won't be for much longer. With the Akatsuki being more active than usual, we might be involved in another war sooner than most people think."

"It's too late to discuss such things," her uncle said. "Let's go to bed." Mikoto nodded and bade her uncle goodnight, making her way to her bedroom.

"I hope you enjoyed your childhood," Itachi murmured to his nephew. "Because it'll end soon."

**A bit of a (very long) filler chapter between the action. So what did you think? Was it good? I want to know – please tell me in one of those lovely things called reviews!**


	21. Eavesdropper

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_It's too late to discuss such things," her uncle said. "Let's go to bed." Mikoto nodded and bade her uncle goodnight, making her way to her bedroom._

"_I hope you enjoyed your childhood," Itachi murmured to his nephew. "Because it'll end soon."_

Chapter 21 - Eavesdropper

The next morning, the entire Uchiha family were up at the crack of dawn.

"Bye," Sasuke said as he left to get the final details of his mission.

"Be careful!" Sakura said, giving her husband a kiss. "I want you back all in one piece!" He nodded.

"Ah, Sasuke," Naruto said when the Uchiha entered his office. "You're early." The man in front of him 'hnned'.

"What's my mission?" he asked his best friend/Hokage. Naruto sighed.

"Here are the details." He outlined the details of the S-Ranked mission.

Unbeknownst to both of them, someone was lurking outside the window. Eavesdropping. Memorising every detail of the mission. Luminous green hair swayed in the breeze. _'Interesting..._ they thought. _Ruiizu-chan needs to hear about this._ A second after Naruto finished giving Sasuke his instructions a purple-eyed girl vanished in a cloud of smoke, materialising miles away.

"What do you want?" she was asked.

"I need to talk to Ruiizu-chan, urgently," the fifteen-year-old replied.

"I'm here," a small, thirteen-year-old said, appearing out of a tent. "What is it?"

"I have important information," the spy said. "Very important."

"Come." The young teen led the way into her tent. For about half an hour all that could be heard were quiet mutterings. They eventually emerged.

"You did well," Ruiizu-chan said. The older girl took the complement and took her leave.

"What is it, Ruiizu-chan?" the sentinel asked respectively.

"It would appear the Konoha is making its move, Yanafu," she said. "We will show them that we are not a force to be underestimated. Summon our supporters. All of them." Yanafu nodded and disappeared.

"Are you sure about this, Ruiizu-chan?" another asked her. She smirked.

"We will show Konoha that they need to do better in the future, that is, if they had one." Her sky blue eyes glinted behind her black glasses. "Kukukuku!" She laughed manically. The braver of her followers joined in. "Kirigakure and Kumogakure have fallen, and Iwagakure is on the verge of collapse. Konohagakure is next, then Sunagakure! Then all the minor shinobi countries will be ours too. We will conquer the whole continent and I shall rule them all! Kukukuku!" She laughed again. "The title of Gokage will be MINE!"

"Are you sure you want to do this mission?" Naruto asked his best friend. "If they realise what you're up to, there'll be no mercy."

Sasuke nodded.

"I'm a shinobi from Konohagakure," he said. "I will do anything to keep it safe – and more to protect my friends."

Naruto smiled grimly.

"Good luck. And I hope, for everyone's sake, that you return in one piece."

"I'll try," Sasuke promised.

"I can't ask for any more than that." Naruto said. "Don't spend any longer than necessary out there." Sasuke inclined his head before leaving the office.

An eighteen year old ANBU was having a heated discussion with one of her teammates. Sasuke smirked when he heard that the object of their argument was his son.

_More and more fan girls… the only way he'll get rid of them is if he has a girlfriend…_

"Sasuke-sama!" the first one said when she was him. She had midnight blue hair with black streaks.

"Tsukihana," he responded civilly. "Why are you having an argument with Nami?"

She blushed at looked at the black haired girl for support.

"Nothing, Sasuke-sama," the other girl said. He smirked, giving them the message that he knew perfectly well what (or rather, **who**) they had been talking about. They looked uncomfortable and were about to say something when he walked off.

_I wish they'd stop calling me Sasuke-sama, it's annoying,_ he thought. Silently, he made his way out of the village. The green-haired spy watched him go.

_I almost pity you,_ she thought. _Almost._ She didn't follow him – she knew that it wouldn't take him long to realise that she was shadowing him. She melted into the breaking dawn as Sasuke donned his old Akatsuki cloak. _Isn't it ironic that the dawn – Akatsuki – will be the last time you see your village,_ she thought, knowing her mistress's plans for the unfortunate Uchiha._ Goodbye, Sasuke-__**sama**__._ She teleported to where Ruiizu-chan was waiting for her.

"He's coming, Ruiizu-chan," she told the younger girl.

"Good," the younger girl responded. Her next command shocked everyone except the spy.

"But… Ruiizu-chan… I thought…" Yanafu said. Her mistress laughed loudly.

"You thought I'd challenge him?" she asked. "No, no, no. I have a better idea…" she trailed off. Her followers waited for her to continue but she glared at them. Didn't I tell you to pack up?" she said. Hastily they went to do her bidding.

Sasuke walked towards the direction of Akatsuki's last known hideout. It was a cold morning and he pulled his cloak tighter around himself. It was only a deterrent – all the Akatsuki members knew to where he was allianced. Its main use was to keep other, unwelcome, people from challenging him. Once he found the Akatsuki he had to stay hidden – if any of them found him he was dead. He came across an area that had recently been camped in but thought nothing of it – after all, it didn't affect his mission. He walked past it, unaware of the many people watching him from the bushes, hiding their Chakra signals. As soon as he was out of earshot, some of the more battle-hungry ninja asked to chase him and were harshly rebuked.

Back in Konoha, Sakura was nervous and pacing.

"Settle down, Mum," Mikoto said. "Pacing won't make any difference."

Sakura sighed.

"I know, but it's a dangerous mission. The chances of him dying are very high, and you know that."

Mikoto nodded.

"Yes, but we can't make any difference. It's up to him," she said wisely. Sakura smiled weakly at her eldest daughter.

"Sasuke wouldn't like it if he knew you were worrying about him. After all, he's a very experienced Jounin," Itachi pointed out. "Are you three coming to train?" he asked his nephew and nieces. They nodded and followed him to the same part of the forest that they had been in the day before.

"Are you going to teach us some new jutsu?" Tani asked hopefully. Her uncle laughed.

"Of course I am," he said. "The first one I'm going to teach you is Katon: Hiru…" he trailed off. "Itachi, are you listening?"

Mikoto and Tani looked at their brother and sighed.

"Itachi…" their uncle said. The teen didn't reply. "**Itachi!**" Mikoto poked her younger brother. He jumped. "Spacing out is strictly forbidden," his uncle said sternly, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that showed that he was joking.

"Sorry," the boy muttered, looking at the ground.

"Now, if you'll watch, I'll demonstrate," Itachi continued. _Katon: Hiru no jutsu!_ A glowing red thread appeared and wrapped around a twig. Upon closer inspection, the young Uchihas could see that it was actually a thread of fire. Slowly, the twig started to burn.

"Cool!" Tani said. "Can I have a go?" Her uncle laughed.

"You can **all** have a go. The signs are Inu Ushi Tatsu Saru I Tora." Simultaneously, the youngsters formed the Seals.

"_Inu, Ushi, Tatsu, Saru, I Tora! Katon: Hiru no jutsu!"_

To their uncle's pleasure, three threads of fire had appeared, albeit at different standards. Itachi's was the strongest, but it wasn't perfect, Mikoto's was flickering and Tani's was struggling to stay in existence. Soon, all three flames died. The two girls glared at their brother jealously, all too aware that his attempt was far better than theirs. Their uncle chuckled.

"To be honest, that was more or less what I was expecting," he admitted. "Try again, and see if you can get a steadier flame." The younger Uchihas obeyed. After ten attempts each, their uncle spoke.

"Do you want me to demonstrate some more that I'll teach you at some point?" he asked. They nodded. "OK." _I, Inu, Mi, Tatsu, Saru, Uma, U, Hitsuji, I Tora! Katon: Sarakei no jutsu!_ Ashes began to fall from the sky. As soon as they hit the ground, multiple fires formed.

"Wow!" Tani exclaimed. "What was that?" Her uncle laughed.

"You get to learn that **after** you master Hiru," he told her. "Want to see another?" They nodded. _Ushi, Ne, Inu, Tori, Tatsu, Tora, I, Mi, Ushi, Uma, Saru, U, Hitsuji, Ne, Ushi, Tora! Katon: Kurenaiya no jutsu!_ A massive flame appeared, so big that the sky seemed to turn red. Even Itachi was impressed.

"That's enough demonstrations. You're supposed to be mastering Hiru," the older Uchiha told his brother's children. They looked disappointed, but focused on the jutsu he said.

**Someone was spying on Sasuke! Who was it? Who's Ruiizu-chan? Lots of juicy questions that you'll have to wait for the answer.**

**If you have any ideas about who the spy is, review their name and I'll put their name on a poll so you guys can vote! I already know who it is… but I'm interested to find out who you guys think!**


	22. Sasuke's Mission

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_That's enough demonstrations. You're supposed to be mastering Hiru," the older Uchiha told his brother's children. They looked disappointed, but focused on the jutsu he said._

Chapter 22 – Sasuke's Mission

Sasuke walked towards the mountainous region of the Land of Earth: Akatsuki's last known base. They were probably still there because the information had come from his brother. Finally, he could see the massive extinct volcano that he was looking for. He was on full alert, Sharingan activated. If he was caught, it meant death. There would be no mercy. An unwanted emotion entered his heart. Fear. He hadn't felt it so strongly for years. A shinobi did not feel emotion, did not fear for his life. So why was he so afraid? Simple. He was scared of never seeing his family again. Laughing with Sakura. Talking with his brother. Training with his son. Playing with Tani. Watching Mikoto grow into a mature young woman. That was what scared him, because it was a much higher chance than normal that he would never see them again. As he entered the massive cave at the base of the volcano he discarded the cloak that concealed him – he didn't need it anymore. It had served its purpose. Casting an Inpei no jutsu and deactivating his Sharingan, he merged into the background. He cautiously ventured further into the gigantic cavern, careful not to make any noise. The jutsu wasn't perfect. If anyone was waiting for or expecting him, he wouldn't be disguised. It was the same if he made too much of a disturbance. There! He saw the ten fingers and face of the Gedō Mazō – the statue that housed seven of the bijū… or so he thought. Eight of its nine eyes were lit. Wait, eight? Each eye represented a biju so that must have meant… Akatsuki had captured and sealed the Hachibi. The Kyuubi was the only biju still free. Sasuke stored that information in his mind. It was of the utmost importance that Naruto knew. He looked up at the fingers. Once, there had been one member of the organisation standing on each. Now only five were filled… Five? He counted again. Five.

_They must have recruited some new members,_ he realised. _Great. More criminals. Just what we need – just what __**I**__ need. More eyes to avoid._ He inspected the criminals. There was a man with an orange mask that Sasuke knew too well. Uchiha Madara. The giant, blue-skinned man was also known to him. Hoshigaki Kisame, his brother's old Akatsuki partner. The third one that he knew was the cannibal, Zetsu. Having identified the three that he knew, he focused on the two new ones. To his surprise, they were girls. Not even women. No, scratch that. Barely even teens. One had jet black hair with purple streaks. Her eyes appeared black in the dim light of the cave. She looked to be twelve or thirteen. The other girl was the same age. Short, slightly spiked brown hair with red streaks. Her bespectacled eyes were a pale blue, not too dissimilar to Ino's eye colour.

"Good work. The Hachibi is finally sealed," Madara said. Sasuke didn't like how his visible Sharingan flicked towards the brown-haired girl as he spoke. She grinned childishly.

"So now what?" she asked. "What's next?"

"The Kyuubi, **obviously**," Kisame said, speaking to her as though she was five. He, too, glanced at her.

_That girl seems pretty stupid, _Sasuke thought._ Why, then, is she in Akatsuki? It's not an organisation that willingly accepts idiots._

"Does that mean that we're going to target Konohagakure then?" the other girl asked. "Wouldn't it make more sense to target Sunagakure?"

"Why's that?" Madara asked.

"Well, we've gained control of Kirigakure and Kumogakure, and Iwagakure is collapsing as we speak. If we then get Sunagakure, then Konohagakure will be surrounded, with no allies to call upon," she reasoned.

"That's true," Madara conceded. "But if we swiftly conquer Konohagakure and gain the Kyuubi, then we can try our new weapon out on Sunagakure just to be sure that our control over the biju is complete before going on to conquer other, more technologically advanced, nations."

"You're right," the girl concluded. "I understand now."

_So do I,_ Sasuke thought. _I didn't think I'd get this lucky, hearing all their plans and the reasoning behind them. I was lucky enough to find out that the Hachibi had been sealed, but this stuff is a bonus. I should go back and tell Naruto… but there is probably more to it than that._

"Shouldn't we be more careful about discussing our plans so openly?" the more childlike girl asked.

"Why?" Zetsu asked, speaking for the first time.

"Because, since Itachi-san got captured, we don't know how much they've got out of him. They might know where our base is."

_Hmm… Perhaps she's not such a baka after all," _Sasuke thought. _Who cares about more information? I need to get out of here or they might find me!_ He turned to go and soundlessly made his way out of the enormous cavern. _I think I'm safer now – I'm away from their base and they didn't notice me._ He picked up his discarded cloak and started to walk away, keeping his guard up. There was a rustle in the bushes and he tensed, re-activating his Sharingan. Several shinobi emerged.

"He's from Akatsuki!" one muttered to his neighbour.

"Is it Itachi-san?" another asked. "Did he escape from Konohagakure?"

Sasuke had never been more grateful that he looked like his brother.

"He looks younger than Itachi-san," another replied. "Is he a newbie? There's so many of them nowadays…"

"Shh! Ruiizu-chan's coming!" another hissed. "She'll know who it is! She knows everything about Akatsuki!"

"What's up, boys?" a female asked from behind Sasuke. He didn't dare turn around.

"Ruiizu-chan!" one shinobi said. "Who's this?" He gestured for Sasuke to turn around, but the Uchiha didn't.

"Hmm…" Ruiizu-chan said. "He wears an Akatsuki cloak… but he's not part of the organisation."

"Really?" one of the ninjas gasped. "Then who is it, Ruiizu-chan?"

A small hand gripped Sasuke's hair and forced him to turn around.

"Uchiha Sasuke, if I'm not mistaken," she said.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw her. Small. Short brown hair streaked with red. Sky blue eyes. Glasses. Akatsuki cloak. It was the childlike girl.

"Uchiha Sasuke," she repeated, a dangerous spark in her eyes. "I am Osutin Ruiizu, leader of the Akatsuki."

**Uh-oh. Sasuke got caught. Who guessed that Ruiizu-chan was part of Akatsuki? Hmm… I wonder why (older) Itachi didn't mention her or the other girl… any guesses who she is? Oh, and don't forget to review/pm me and suggest who the spy is… and vote on the poll!**

**I have been asked if the spy is an OC. The answer… I'm not telling you. Work it out yourself. Clues will be dropped.**

**And reviews of any sort are always welcome!**


	23. Ransom

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

_Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw her. Small. Short brown hair streaked with red. Sky blue eyes. Glasses. Akatsuki cloak. It was the childlike girl._

"_Uchiha Sasuke," she repeated, a dangerous spark in her eyes. "I am Osutin Ruiizu, leader of the Akatsuki."_

Chapter 23 – Ransom

Ruiizu-chan's small, strong hand clenched his hair and dragged him back into the Akatsuki cave, followed by the shinobi.

"You caught our little spy," Madara said respectfully. "Ruiizu-chan, you never cease to amaze me." The thirteen year old shrugged.

"That's why spy networks are useful," she pointed out. "I wouldn't have known he was going to pay us a visit if **she** hadn't told me.

_**She**__?_ Sasuke thought, still in a daze. _Spy network?_

"She is indeed our most reliable informative," Kisame agreed. The other girl noticed Sasuke's confusion.

"Ruiizu-chan," she said. "He is getting confused."

"Ah, so I see, Yanafu," the Akatsuki leader said. "You see, Sasuke-san, we knew about your espionage mission as soon as you did, thanks to our reliable spy in Konohagakure."

"Spy?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. Spy," Ruiizu-chan confirmed. "A friend of your son, I believe." She leaned over and whispered in the Uchiha's ear. He paled.

"Her?" he asked incredulously. Ruiizu-chan grinned maniacally.

"Her."

Itachi walked down the street, exhausted by the harsh training that his uncle had put him through.

_I wonder how Dad's doing,_ he wondered. _And when he'll be back._ He knew it was a little too soon to be worrying about his father. After all, he'd only been gone a day. The mission was expected to last at least three days. He bumped into a girl and grinned.

"Hey, Arisu," he said to the ex-Kiri kunoichi.

"Hey, Itachi," she said, flashing him a very toothy grin. Her pointed teeth caught the light and shone brightly. "What's up?"

Itachi shrugged.

"Dad's away on a mission," he said. Her face grew serious.

"You probably won't want to hear this…" she said. "But I have a bad feeling about that… almost as if he's not coming back." Itachi looked shocked. "But that's just me…" she said, grinning again. "We all know how paranoid I am."

Itachi's face reassembled itself into a half-hearted grin.

"As long as Kurisotufuaa doesn't say that, I'm OK," he said. Arisu nodded.

"Yeah, he's the Senken-sha," she said.

"Hey! Itachi! Arisu!" a teen said, bounding up to them.

"Aren't you full of energy," Arisu commented.

"Anbaa," Itachi acknowledged. "I haven't seen you for a while."

The younger teen grinned.

"I've been on loads of missions," she said. "I heard you passed the Jounin exams. Congratulations."

"Thanks," the Uchiha said. "It wasn't that hard to be honest."

"I thought you were modest," Anbaa said. "Hang on… Who are you and what have you done with Uchiha Itachi?" The three friends laughed. "Just kidding. I know it's you," she added. "It's nice to see you finally acknowledging your abilities."

Itachi blushed.

"Aww. Don't get embarrassed," Arisu said, putting an arm around his shoulders. He shrugged her off.

"How's your dad?" Anbaa asked. "I haven't seen him for ages."

"He's on a mission," Itachi said. "Have you met my uncle?"

"You have an uncle?" Anbaa exclaimed. "Cool!"

"He is," Arisu commented. "We get along really well."

"He gets on well with you? I gotta meet him!" Anbaa said. "I didn't think any adults got on well with you except Kiba! How's Akamaru?"

"Fine. He wiped out his far share of Chuunin in the Jounin exam," Itachi said. "So, you'd like to meet my uncle?" The girl nodded her head furiously. He grinned and led the way back to his home.

"You look pretty tired," Anbaa commented as they walked. He shrugged.

"Uncle's been training us all day," he said by way of explanation. When they approached the mansion, they saw Mikoto sitting outside.

"Hey, Anbaa," she said. "I haven't seen you for a while now."

"I've been out on missions," the younger girl answered. "Is it true that you have an uncle, or are these two just winding me up?" Mikoto laughed.

"It's true, all right," she said. "Uncle! Get out here!"

"What is it, Mikoto?" the older Uchiha asked, emerging from the house. "Oh, hello," he said, noticing Anbaa. "I don't think I've seen you before." Anbaa grinned.

"Same right back at you. You get on with Arisu? Really?" she said.

"Really," the dark haired man responded. "I'm Itachi, by the way."

"Anbaa," the girl replied. "Itachi? That must get so confusing."

"Not really," her friend said. "If Mikoto or Tani say Itachi they mean me. If Mum's being patronising, it's usually me and Dad… well it's easy to tell but hard to explain." His uncle grinned.

"It took a while to get used to," his uncle said. "Especially with Sakura."

"Itachi, can you get in here?" Sakura called from inside the house. The two Uchihas looked at each other.

"It's still confusing," the elder said. "Does she mean me… or you?"

The young kunoichi laughed.

"She means you, Uncle," Tani said, walking out.

"Honestly," Sakura said, also walking out the house. "It would be so much easier if you two said it differently… or something."

"You could just do what Sasuke does and call me Nii-san or something like that," the older one said.

"Fine, Nii-san," Sakura said. "Get in the house." Itachi sighed and did as he was told. Sakura followed him.

"Not very argumentative," Anbaa commented.

"He's scared of Mum," Itachi told her.

"How come?" Anbaa asked. "She's not scary."

"It's a long story," Mikoto said.

"How did you meet him?" the younger girl asked.

"Another long story," Itachi said.

"Why is everything to do with your uncle a long story?" Anbaa complained.

"He used to be a criminal," Tani explained. "And everyone thought that Dad killed him years ago… don't ask. Recently, Itachi was sent on a mission to retrieve him, which he did, obviously…"

"Albeit with some temper tantrums," Suigetsu cut in. Itachi glared at his sensei.

"When did you get there?" Tani asked.

"Just now," the silver-haired shinobi said. "Naruto sent me."

"Why?" Mikoto asked, reaching for her ANBU mask. Arisu did the same.

"Dunno. He just sent me to get you three, Sakura and Itachi," he said.

"Mum! Uncle!" Mikoto called. They came running.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto wants you guys," Suigetsu said. The Uchiha family nodded and ran to the Hokage tower. Arisu, Anbaa and Suigetsu followed. They knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in," Naruto called. They opened the door and entered.

"What is it?" Sakura asked. Naruto looked down.

"Sasuke got caught," he said. "Here." He handed Sakura a note. She read it, and paled, then a look of confusion spread across her face.

"What is it?" her brother-in-law asked. She handed him the paper. The rest of the family read it over his shoulder.

_Hokage,_

_We have caught your spy, Uchiha Sasuke. Why send him to gather information on us when you already have Uchiha Itachi I do not understand, but I have a proposition for you. Surrender to the Akatsuki and he will be returned to his family._

_I am sure that you will do the correct thing,_

_Osutin Ruiizu-chan_

_Leader of Akatsuki_

"Ruiizu-chan?" Itachi asked, looking at his uncle. "What's she like?"

"I don't know," the older Uchiha said. "I've never heard of her. Whoever she is, she wasn't part of the Akatsuki when I was."

"We may not know who she is, but obviously she has had links to the Akatsuki for a while," Naruto said. "They're demanding that we surrender to them, but I'm afraid that's something we can't do…"

"You can't sacrifice Daddy!" Tani said tearfully.

"He wouldn't want us to surrender just to save him," her uncle said.

Naruto nodded.

"I don't like this any more than you do, but Sasuke would rather die than Konoha fall," he said.

"What puzzles me is how he was caught, and how that they knew he was gathering information," Suigetsu said. "If I didn't know Akatsuki better, I'd say that they're using spies – and not just Zetsu. Sasuke's not stupid enough to get caught."

"But if they have a new leader they might have changed tactics," Sakura said. "Especially if they're female. We think differently to men so…"

Naruto looked serious.

"You're right, Sakura," he said. "They may have a spy network now." He looked at the ex-Akatsuki members. "Is there anything you haven't told us about Akatsuki?" he asked. "Right now, we need to know everything about them."

Itachi and Suigetsu looked at each other.

"I don't know much," Suigetsu said. "They told Sasuke everything and we just did what he said. Karin and Juugo might know a little more – I never paid attention to what they were talking about."

"You were in the Akatsuki?" Itachi asked his sensei incredulously. The water ninja grinned.

"Briefly. So was your father, and Karin and Juugo," he said.

"Go get them," Naruto ordered. "I need to know everything you can tell me."

Suigetsu nodded and left.

"I can't believe he got caught," Arisu said. Tani started to cry and her uncle put his arm around her.

**So Akatsuki are using Sasuke as a hostage. Who's the spy? Do they work alone or is there more than one? Keep guessing. It doesn't matter if you're wrong. If you're tossing up between a few characters, then tell me all of them – you don't have to guess just one person!**

**Reviews of all types are welcomed.**


	24. Akatsuki Makes Its Move

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

"_You were in the Akatsuki?" Itachi asked his sensei incredulously. The water ninja grinned._

"_Briefly. So was your father, and Karin and Juugo," he said._

"_Go get them," Naruto ordered. "I need to know everything you can tell me."_

_Suigetsu nodded and left._

"_I can't believe he got caught," Arisu said. Tani started to cry and her uncle put his arm around her._

Chapter 24 – The Akatsuki Makes its Move

"I wonder what decision Konohagakure will come to," Ruiizu-chan said. Sasuke glared at her. He would have said something, but they had bound and gagged him.

"It depends on how good a Hokage that Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi is," Madara said. "He'll sacrifice the village to get our little spy back, I would think. His friends have always been his weakness."

"Is that true, Sasuke?" Yanafu asked. He just glared at them. Ruiizu-chan removed the gag.

"Well?"

"Naruto won't sacrifice the village to save me," the Uchiha spat. "So you may as well just kill me."

"Hmm," the girl said, replacing the cloth.

"Ruiizu-chan," a girl said. "I have news."

"What is it?" the Akatsuki leader asked, looking at her favourite spy.

"They got the note, but the Hokage has made it clear that he won't sacrifice the village."

Ruiizu-chan scowled.

"How noble," she said sarcastically. "What's his reasoning?"

"That Sasuke wouldn't want him to."

"He won't change his mind then," Kisame said. "That kid respects his friend's wishes."

"He's 38 – hardly a kid," Zetsu pointed out.

"We're the kids now," Yanafu added.

"So how did the family react?" Ruiizu-chan asked her spy.

"Tani is furious with the Hokage, and the rest of that family are unhappy but accept it. What's more worrying for me is that they are getting Itachi and the 'Sound Squad' to say everything about us that they know-"

"Willingly or unwillingly?" Ruiizu-chan interrupted.

"Willingly. It would seem that Uchiha Itachi is no longer loyal to the Akatsuki."

"He never was," Madara said. "He's a spy that Konoha never knew they had. Until now, that is. That's why he went with his nephew so willingly.

"He needs to be eliminated then, and so do the 'Sound Squad'" Ruiizu-chan said. "Yanafu – get sixteen ninja ready to depart for Konoha, for when I say so." The dark haired girl nodded and vanished. "You'd better go back before they realise you've gone," she added to the spy.

"Yes, Ruiizu-chan. Goodbye, Sasuke," she said wickedly before she too disappeared.

"I didn't realise that Uchiha Itachi would be such a liability or I'd have had him assassinated ages ago," Ruiizu-chan muttered. A dark cloud of dust appeared and made its way towards Madara. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I… coff, coff I… didn't think it mattered… coff, coff," Madara gasped as the dust surrounded him.

"I wouldn't kill him, Ruiizu-chan," Kisame said. "We'll need him if we have to attack Konoha."

"You're right," the brown haired girl said. The cloud of dust dissipated. "Consider that a warning." Madara nodded, massaging his throat. Twelve shinobi appeared, and five kunoichi.

"Will these do?" Yanafu asked, walking towards Ruiizu-chan. The young teen inspected the sixteen ninja.

"An interesting selection," she commented. "But a good one. Here are the squads then. Squad one will consist of Kotomi Io, Kaeru Aoto, Fumisato Jiyuu and Fumisato Naoki." The kunoichi and three shinobi moved to stand next to each other. "Squad two is Ookami Kurai, Fuyuka Aina, Ryuuhei Taiga and Yawara Eisuke." The four ninja moved together. "Squad three – Natsuhito Itaru, Heima Gousuke, Momoe Katsuko and Kii Genya. Finally, squad four is Chihaya Ikuo, Masakazu Kodama, Nobuaki Daisuke and Yuuki Suzu." The ninja watched her, waiting for their orders. "Each squad has its own objective. Squad one. Do you know Uchiha Itachi, formerly a member of this organisation?" They nodded. "Kill him." Shock was evident on their faces. "Squad two. Do you know Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's son?" They nodded. "Capture him." Kurai looked pleased. "You two squads will be travelling together and will strike at the same time. Go to Konoha and send one member from each squad to meet with **her**. She will advise you of the best time to strike. Squad three – do you know Hōzuki Suigetsu?" They nodded. "Kill him. Squad four. Do you know Hōzuki Karin?" They nodded. "Kill her."

The four squads all grinned at each other; each squad thought that they'd got the best mission.

"Squads three and four will travel together. If either of you come across your target's children, take them. You will strike soon after squads one and two. Again, **she** will advise you on when to strike. Before you set off, however… Yanafu."

"Yes, Ruiizu-chan?" the girl asked.

"Shīru their minds. If one squad fails and are interrogated, I don't want Konoha to be able to extract any information."

"Yes, Ruiizu-chan," she said. She wandered up to each member of the four squads and, one by one, Shina their minds so that no-one could glean any information.

"Any questions?" Ruiizu-chan asked once Yanafu was finished.

"What about the other one – Juugo?" Io asked, her eight crimson eyes glancing at Sasuke.

"He's too much of an effort to kill, and anyway, he won't say much – he's very quiet," she was told. "Any more questions?" No-one spoke. "Good. Go!" The four squads vanished in a cloud of smoke. The Akatsuki leader turned to her prisoner.

"So… Sasuke. You're helpless to stop the death of your brother and abduction of your son. Tell me, how does that feel?" She removed the gag, only to have Sasuke spit in her face.

"Why my son?" he snarled.

"Why? Because the more hostages I have, the more likely it is that Konoha will surrender, especially if they're close to the Hokage. And I think Sakura will have something to say to him if her husband and son are in our hands and her brother-in-law is dead, don't you?" Sasuke glared at her. "Never underestimate a mother's love."

"Sakura's more likely to kill herself than force Naruto to surrender just to save me and Itachi," Sasuke spat. Ruiizu-chan made a face as she wiped the spittle off her cheek.

"It's rude to spit," she pointed out childishly, reminding Sasuke that, despite her mannerisms, she was still only a child.

**Uh oh. That's not good. Akatsuki are making their move… and it's not good news for the good guys… oh well. The good guys always win, don't they? Heh heh heh (and that's not a hint either way, I'm just saying… oh, never mind!).**

**Reviews of any sort please! And if you have any guesses as to who the spy is, don't forget to tell me – or vote on the poll!**

**Oh, and as to why 'Uncle' Itachi is scared of Sakura – it's because of when his nephew kicked him, way back in chapter 2. It **_**hurt**_**, and Naruto comments in chapter 3 that Mikoto, Itachi and Tani get their insane strength from their mother (i.e. Sakura). Hence, he does as he's told because he knows that if she hits him it will **_**hurt**_**.**


	25. Assassins of the Dawn

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

"_Sakura's more likely to kill herself than force Naruto to surrender just to save me and Itachi," Sasuke spat. Ruiizu-chan made a face as she wiped the spittle off her cheek._

"_It's rude to spit," she pointed out childishly, reminding Sasuke that, despite her mannerisms, she was still only a child._

Chapter 25 – Assassins of the Dawn

"Itachi," Naruto said, walking into the Uchiha mansion. They both looked at him.

"Which one?" they asked in unison.

"Both of you," the Hokage said. "Can I talk to you in private?" They nodded and stood, following Naruto to his house. Hinata greeted them in her gentle manner as they walked past her.

"I know that the two of you are going to be training alone tomorrow," Naruto said. "But I'm so sure if that's a good idea. I know you are fully capable of looking after yourselves, but I'm worried about Akatsuki. Just the two of you on your own would make you prime targets if anyone attacked. I've made some arrangements and, if you agree, Tonton will be present and Shizune won't be too far off so that if you're attacked Tonton can fetch her. Of course, that'll only happen if you two agree, but it would make me a lot more comfortable with the situation."

The two Uchihas looked at each other and nodded.

"That's fine." the older one said.

The first two squads walked tirelessly towards Konoha. By nightfall they weren't far from the gates.

"There's a good clearing here," Eisuke commented, his grey eyes scanning the area. The others nodded in agreement and started to unpack their meagre belongings.

"We should probably stay here until we complete our missions," Taiga commented.

Io finished unpacking first.

"I'll go gather firewood," she said. The others watched the six-armed girl fade into the night, her black hair with its dusting of silver cobwebs helping her fade into the surroundings. Kurai was next to finish, volunteering to be on watch. His piercing amber eyes searched the black and white (as his wolf eyes saw it) world for any signs of unfamiliar people.

Half an hour later, they were all sitting around the fire, every so often lazily throwing twigs into the flames.

"What do we know about the targets?" Aina asked, her half blue, half white hair shimmering in the firelight.

"The older one used to be part of Akatsuki," Io said.

"Members of their clan all use Katon jutsus" Eisuke added.

"Their kekkei genkai is the Sharingan, which is very powerful," Aoto said. The eight year olds startling sapphire eyes and long black hair made him similar in appearance to the Tsukiko twins.

"Their genjutsu skills are said to be extraordinary," Aina said.

"The older one's said to be a true prodigy," Jiyuu said.

"The younger one's no pushover from what I know," his twin, Naoki, added.

"The older one's was ANBU," commented Taiga.

"The younger one's just graduated as a Jounin," Kurai said sourly.

"So we know quite a bit about them," Aina summarised.

"So who's going into the village to meet **her**?" Io asked.

"It needs to be someone who's not too memorable," Taiga said.

"Aoto from our squad then," Jiyuu said. "He's so small they won't even notice him. Anyway, Io stands out too much, and Naoki and I don't exactly look ordinary."

"Aina from our squad," Eisuke said. "Taiga stands out, Kurai has been there before and **she** gives me the creeps."

"OK, then," Aina said. "Aoto and I it is, then. "We'll go tomorrow morning."

Just then, Yanafu appeared. They scrambled to their feet in respect for the higher-ranked ninja – they held her in great regard.

"Ruiizu-chan has just informed **her** of your missions. She will be waiting for two of you tomorrow morning. Do not forget to do as she says as she knows the targets better than we do. Who is going?"

"Aoto and I," Aina said.

"Here are some fake IDs. I will check up on your progress until you are ready. Then I will go to the other two squads, who are at the moment a day behind you." They nodded. "**Do not rush this mission.**" With that, she disappeared.

The next morning, the two squads rose at the crack of dawn, as was their custom, to pay their respects to the akatsuki that their mistress's organisation was named after.

After they had eaten breakfast, Aina and Aoto gathered up some of their belongings and headed to the gates of Konoha.

"What's our cover story?" Aoto asked.

"You're my cousin and we're visiting a friend," the kunoichi replied.

"Halt!" an aging shinobi said a couple of minutes later as they walked past him.

"State your names and businesses," his partner added.

"I'm Masao Aina and this is my cousin Masao Aoto," Aina said. "We're visiting a friend." She showed them the fake ID cards.

"Sure," one of the guards said. "Go on in." Kotetsu and Izumo often did gate duty rather than active missions due to their age.

The assassins walked through the gate and into the bustling streets of Konoha. They looked round for the luminous green hair that belonged to Ruiizu-chan's favourite spy and soon located it.

"Aina and Aoto, am I correct?" she asked. They nodded. "Good. Follow me." She led them off the main street and onto a side street.

"I'm lucky," she said, as though having a normal conversation. "I live very close to the Uchiha clan."

"The Uchiha clan?" Aoto asked. "Who are they?" The spy stared at him in (well faked) horror.

"You've never heard of the Uchiha clan?" she exclaimed. "They're only the strongest clan in the village."

"Really?" Aina asked. "How so?"

"Well, Itachi, the oldest member of the clan, is a true genius for one thing, but his nephew, also called Itachi, is about the same standard even though he's about my age. He passed the Jounin exams a few days ago. Of course, everyone knew he would. I mean, he is an Uchiha, and his sensei's Hōzuki Suigetsu from the 'Sound Squad' – you've heard of **them**, right?"

Aina nodded while Aoto shook his head.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"Three really strong ninja from Otogakure. There's Hōzuki Suigetsu; he was originally from Kirigakure, Hōzuki Karin; no-one knows where she was born, and Juugo no Tenpin," the spy explained.

"If Itachi is trained by him then that means he must be really good," Aina commented, bringing them back to their original conversation.

"Yeah, it's not that his sisters are a pushover. Mikoto's ANBU, and very protective of her younger brother. She's 18. His other sister, Tani, is only 12 but she's inherited her mother's healing talent."

"So how old is Itachi, then?" Aina asked. "And who are his parents?"

"He's 16 – and quite a good friend of mine. I'd introduce you, but at the moment he and the rest of the clan are a bit upset because his father, Uchiha Sasuke, has been captured by some organisation called 'Akatsuki'." They entered a house and the spy made sure that all the windows and doors were shut.

"You want to know about their fighting abilities and things like that don't you?" she asked the assassins, who nodded. "Here's a photo of the older one." She held up a photo of a man of about 40. He had almost black hair which was tied up in a low ponytail and deep, calculating onyx eyes. "And here's the younger one." She showed them a photo of a teenager with raven hair and emerald eyes.

"Cute," Aina commented. The spy nodded.

"Most of the girls in the village fancy him," she said. "I know he's cute, but I'm not all over him like the others are."

"What are their abilities?" Aoto asked, sounding older than he was.

"They both have the Sharingan and Mangekyo Sharingan," the spy said.

"What does that do?" Aina asked.

"It gives them the ability to read your handsigns and copy them so that they can cancel your jutsu out. They can also track your body's movements so if you tried to punch them they'd see it and dodge or catch your hand with little effort. It also gives them unparalleled genjutsu abilities."

Aina whistled.

"That's quite the kekkei genkai," she said. "What are the target's main jutsus?" The spy thought for a moment.

"The younger one uses a lot of Chidori techniques, as well as the clan's Katon techniques. The older one seems to rely on genjutsu from his Sharingan, although he has copied hundreds of jutsus from all the elements and is also proficient in the clan's Katon jutsus."

"A tricky customer then," Aina summarised. The spy nodded in agreement.

"I've been doing some research," she said. "And the best time to get them is tomorrow afternoon."

"Why?" Aoto asked. "What's so special about then?"

"At the moment, the older target is training his nephew and nieces, but tomorrow, Tani and Mikoto are out on missions so it'll just be the two targets. By striking in the afternoon, they will have already used some of their Chakra training and so will be slightly easier to overcome – but only very slightly."

"Where do they train?" Aina asked.

"At a clearing in the forest at the northern boundary of the village. It's perfect for us because you won't have to get everyone in through the gates – you can just 'sneak round the back'. To make things even more favourable for us, Sakura is working at the hospital then, so the only Uchihas in the area will be the targets. No-one else knows where they train."

"So we strike tomorrow afternoon then. What time, roughly?" Aoto said.

"Four thirty. It's an hour before Sakura gets home and neither of the girls should be back until the next day."

"What missions are they on?" Aina asked.

"Tani's genin squad are protecting some merchant who's going to a big town a way away, and Mikoto's going on a solo mission to the Land of Waves to help some old bridge builder and his grandson with something."

"If it's solo, than her teammates will still be here," Aina said.

"Don't worry about them…" the spy said, grinning. For the first time, Aina and Aoto saw her pointed, shark-like teeth. "I'll keep them out the way."

"How?" Aoto asked curiously.

"Just trust me," the spy said, giving him another toothy grin. "We're good friends."

**So the spy is good friends with Mikoto's ANBU squad… just who **_**is **_**she? I know, and if you have any guesses, I'll be happy to hear them (unless you know me and I've **_**told**_**you who it is – then you can't guess unless you want to PM me).**

**But even if you don't want to guess, you can still drop a review (I wonder how many I will get saying that I can't kill Itachi/have the younger one abducted..?):P**


	26. Strike

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

"_Don't worry about them…" the spy said, grinning. For the first time, Aina and Aoto saw her pointed, shark-like teeth. "I'll keep them out the way."_

"_How?" Aoto asked curiously._

"_Just trust me," the spy said, giving him another toothy grin. "We're good friends."_

Chapter 26 – Strike

The next morning, the spy, Aoto and Aina finalised their plans.

"You'll keep the ANBU squad occupied?" Aina confirmed. The spy nodded and grinned, revealing her pointed teeth.

"I told you – we're good friends."

"OK, so at midday we leave – to all appearances going home – and ready the others, telling them about the plan. Then, at half four, we strike. We kill the older one as quickly as we can, at the same time subduing the younger. Hopefully, within half an hour, we'll be gone."

"What orders do you have concerning the corpse?" the spy inquired.

"None."

As if on cue, Yanafu materialised.

"When are you going to strike?" she asked.

"Half past four this afternoon," Aina replied respectfully. "What should we do with the corpse?"

"Ruiizu-chan requests that you leave it. The blood will make it easier to track you as it is – you don't need a body to slow you down. It will also show this complacent village that they are not safe for a moment – that no matter where they are, we can get them. It might give them the incentive they need to surrender. Don't leave any message – Ruiizu-chan will send that once you deliver the younger target to us –preferably in a rather beaten up state to upset Uchiha Sasuke. I suggest that you pack up before you attack, or you will lose valuable time as it is inevitable that you will be pursued. This act will be the beginning of the war, unless Konohagakure surrender, so be prepared to have to fight not long after you deliver the target. I will go now – farewell."

"Bye," the spy said as Yanafu vanished. "So there you have it – you have to leave the body. Fun, fun, fun; I get to do some acting… again." She sighed. "It's getting quite tedious, but it'll be over soon."

At midday, the two visitors bade farewell to their hostess and walked out of the gate. As soon as they were out of sight of the guards they darted off the path, towards the camp. Io was on lookout duty and waved one arm in greeting.

"We strike today," Aina told her.

They were warmly welcomed when they entered camp.

"What's the plan?" Eisuke asked. "What did you agree with **her**?"

"Strike camp," Aina said. "We attack at four thirty. Today." There was a cheer and the assassins quickly took down the tents and put out the fire. When they had finished, they sat around where the fire had been and waited for their instructions.

"At four thirty, we will go round the back of the village and target a small clearing where they will be training. The other members of the clan are out the way – the girls are on missions and the mother is at work, so it will just be the two of them. The younger uses Raiton and Katon attacks, while the older prefers genjutsu. They are both extremely good at genjutsu and their kekkei genkai – the Sharingan – allows them to read and copy our handsigns. This will not be easy. Remember – those attacking the older, aim to kill. Those attacking the younger – beat him to a pulp – Ruiizu-chan doesn't care what state he's in as long as there's a lot of blood and he's alive."

The other seven nodded.

"There is one ANBU squad that could potentially interfere, but **she** assures me that she'll keep them occupied long enough for us to complete our missions. We will have an hour until the mother gets home from work." She checked her watch.

"4:15 pm. Let's go. Leave our stuff here. We'll pick it up as we leave."

Silently, the assassination squad and abduction quad made their way to where they would find their targets.

"Good one," Itachi said as his nephew performed a perfect Hiru. "Do it again so I know that it wasn't a fluke." His nephew did so and he grinned proudly. _Sasuke would be proud of him,_ he thought sadly.

He tensed - he could sense some people approaching – and he didn't know them.

"Go, Tonton," he whispered to the tiny pig. She oinked and trotted off to fetch Shizune. His nephew looked at him.

"There's eight of them," he said. "That's two squads."

"One each, do you reckon?" his uncle asked. "Listen," he said in barely more than a whisper. "I don't know their aim, but I'm pretty sure they work for Akatsuki. They'll probably try to kill us… but if they're only fighting to capture, let them. This could be our opening to get your father back…" His nephew nodded in understanding.

A couple of seconds later, he saw an eight-eyed, eight-limbed girl appear behind him. He activated his Sharingan just in time to dodge six fists that were headed his way. Two streams of sand headed towards him and he saw identical twins with green hair and orange eyes controlling them. He jumped up above them, only to have to use a Kage Bunshin to manoeuvre away from a giant wave of water. He could tell that they would be hard to beat. _Shizune, hurry up,_ he thought. He ran towards the two sand controlling ninja – _probably from Suna_ – and used his Sharingan to cast a genjutsu that would immobilise them. They screamed in agony and he turned his attention to the other two. The water ninja was a young boy, he realised. _Damn, a prodigy,_ he thought. Six Chakra-encased fists headed his was and he dodged. _That spider girl's a pain._ He sent a fireball roaring her way, which she dodged. Another wave of water headed his way and he leaped to the side, but it splashed over one foot. Immediately, his foot began to feel heavier and heavier. _A kekkei genkai,_ he realised. _This is bad._ Slowed down by his injured – if you could call it that – foot, one of the spider girl's fists dealt him a glancing blow. He glanced back at the sand twins and cursed when he saw that they had just managed to release the genjutsu he had cast. Full fury, two walls of sand rolled towards him at an alarming rate. Glancing behind him, he saw the young boy create a massive wall of water that slowly advanced towards him. He was trapped. Usually, it would have been easy to escape, but with his foot weighed down by the water boy's kekkei genkai, he couldn't jump high enough to evade the sand. It pulled him to the ground and wrapped around his healthy foot, preventing him from moving around. Once again, six Chakra-powered fists whistled through the air towards him. He sent a massive burst of Chakra to his feet, ripping out of the sand's hold on him. There was a crack and something warm trickled down his ankle. He glanced down to see that the effort had broken his ankle and torn the skin. He landed unsteadily behind the sand twins and drew a kunai. Effortlessly, he stabbed one in the back, severing his spine and piercing his heart. The young man dropped like a stone. The other sand ninja started to keen, mourning his brother, until Itachi ended his life, too. Yet again, six Chakra-powered fists aimed for him. He let his broken ankle buckle under him and fell, avoiding her attack – but where was the boy? A wave of water rolled towards him very quickly – he tried to avoid it, but it caught his bleeding ankle, numbing that, too. It felt unlike any water that Itachi had experienced before. It clung to him and slowly made its way up his leg, to the rest of his body. Itachi felt himself getting weaker and weaker. _Of course,_ he thought as things started to blur. _This water is eating my Chakra. If I don't do something soon, I'll die._ Summoning his last reserves of strength, he drew a kunai and threw it at the boy. The water tightened as the boy screamed – it had hit his chest – before rapidly loosening. But Itachi didn't have time to register that. Six arms with Chakra-encased fists whistled through the air, punching him because he was too weak to move and avoid them. Everything blurred before going black.

Io bent down and checked her victim's pulse expertly. There wasn't even a faint thud.

"He's dead," she said, then looked at Aoto. He was still conscious, but losing blood fast. "Aina, get over here now!" she called. The kunoichi left her fight and hurried over. Carefully, she removed the kunai and placed her hands on the wound. Green Chakra engulfed it and the cut slowly shrank.

"Is he dead?" the medic nin asked, gesturing with her head towards Itachi. Io nodded triumphantly.

"But so are Jiyuu and Naoki," she added sombrely.

"We haven't subdued the other one yet," Aina said. "Can you put those Chakra-sensing abilities of yours to make sure that no-one's coming?" The spider girl nodded and closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind to find any enemies. Aoto coughed and tried to sit up, but Aina stopped him.

"Have a rest," she said before going back to join her fight.

Itachi saw the spider-like girl appear and turned, expecting to see others. He wasn't wrong – a man his father's age with red and white hair and pink eyes confronted him openly. The unknown shinobi formed handsigns. Itachi activated his Sharingan and was able to determine that they were for a genjutsu. Almost before it was cast, he had released it.

He jumped into the air, landing on a tree branch where he could survey his attackers. He recognised one as Ookami Kurai – the wolfish Yamigakure candidate that had approached him after the first exam. There was a kunoichi with silver eyes and half blue, half white hair. The other member was a purple haired shinobi that had grey eyes. This member started to weave handsigns that Itachi recognised as genjutsu. _Two genjutsu users. Great._ As before he released it, and then groaned.

Wolfboy from the exam ran towards the tree and started to climb at a terrifying rate. _Uh-oh,_ Itachi thought as he jumped down from the tree. He then realised that that was a mistake as Wolfboy jumped down and landed on top of him. Pointed fangs tried to tear at his throat. Quickly, Itachi cast a Hiru, which wrapped around his attacker's neck. Wolfboy howled and stood up, trying to extinguish the flames. The kunoichi ran over to him and released a jet of water from her fingertips, putting the fire out. _A water ninja. Double great._ He turned and sent a fireball towards the pink eyed genjutsu user who countered it with one of his own. _OK then. Chidori!_ The ball of Raiton Chakra gathered in his palm and he charged towards the same ninja. He caught him in the shoulder but before he could finish him off, the young woman was there, healing him. _A medic too? And she's nearly as good as Mum. This just isn't fair! Chidori Nagashi!_ He sent it in all directions, determined to stun at least one of them. A scream told him that at least one of them had been caught – looking round, he saw that it was Wolfboy. Ignoring the wolf-like shinobi, he focused on the red and white haired man, while still keeping a wary eye on the medic and the other genjutsu user. He sent a fireball roaring through the air again, but as before it was cancelled out by his opponent also creating a Katon jutsu. A wave of water approached him, which he dodged with ease. _You'll have to do better than that._ The other genjutsu user drew two knives that Itachi recognised as Trench Knives. The man slashed at him and he jumped backwards. Blood splashed down his cheek and he looked at the blades again. They were encased in Chakra. _Now it's a Fuiton type. How much worse is this going to get?_ Itachi wondered. He didn't bother trying to stem the flow of blood – it was only a shallow cut because he'd jumped back quickly enough. A clawed hand grabbed his ankle and he looked down, cursing when he saw that Wolfboy had managed to overcome the damage he'd sustained from Itachi's Chidori Nagashi. He kicked out, but the Yami ninja held on.

Flames licked up his leg but Itachi drew his katana and stabbed his attacker. There was a howl and the flames receded. Another fireball came hurtling towards him and he barely dodged it – his burnt leg slowing him down. Another wave of water washed over him. It was a gentle wave, not even enough to knock him off his feet. He staggered, but remained upright._ Huh? Water ninja's attacks are generally much fiercer._ He started to feel slightly dizzy. _But this is slowly making me pass out… not die, pass out. Are they trying to capture me?_

Just as that thought ran through his mind, the Fuiton type ninja held out his hand and Chakra started spiralling into it. _The Rasengan? No… but it's similar…_ Quickly thinking back to what he had been taught, he created a fireball which engulfed the sphere. _Katon overcomes Fuiton._ Wolfboy clutched at his ankle again. _This is getting very tedious,_ Itachi thought. He cast a genjutsu on him, forcing him to relax his grip. Katana in hand, Itachi ran at the red and white haired shinobi, running him clean through. The pink eyed man gurgled as blood dribbled out of his mouth. He gripped the blade of the katana, ignoring the fact that it was cutting his skin, and grinned. The kunoichi ran up to the dying man and started to heal him, before realising that it was no use.

Meanwhile, the purple haired man had released the genjutsu on Wolfboy and they both approached Itachi from behind. He sensed them coming and yanked his blade out of the dying man's grip. He threw a handful of shurikan at them, which they countered with their own. There was a piercing scream and they all glanced over at where the other fight was taking place at the other end of the clearing. Itachi was pleased to see that his uncle had killed one of the attackers and was killing a second. A snarl reverted his attention back to his fight as Wolfboy threw himself at Itachi, a kunai in each hand. Itachi dodged, but not fast enough and one of the blades nicked his side. The young Uchiha pressed a hand against the wound and scowled. _These guys are annoying,_ he thought. He slashed mercilessly at the wolfish boy until his opponent was reduced to a non-moving heap. _Two down._ There was another scream, but Itachi didn't dare glance over. His attackers may have been fighting to capture, but he still wanted to wipe out as many of them as he could. Less people to escape from later. There was a bone-sickening crunch, but again, Itachi didn't look.

"Aina! Get over here!" one of the ninja attacking his uncle shouted – the spider girl that had appeared first. His curiosity got the better of him and he glanced over. What he saw shocked him – his uncle was lying in a crumpled heap, unmoving.

He tore his eyes away from the horrific sight and furiously attacked the shinobi that was trying to sneak up on him from behind. In the onslaught, the purple haired man was outclassed. Itachi performed a Chidorigatana and slashed at his attacker. He cut off one arm and the man stumbled backwards, his hand pressing against the bleeding stump. Knowing that he would bleed to death, the ninja suddenly drew a Trench Knife and once again slashed at Itachi. The Uchiha dodged, but the Fuiton Chakra extended far enough to deepen the gash in his side. The teen cursed and tried to stem the flow of blood. He stabbed with the katana once more, right through his opponent's heart. He dropped like a stone. Itachi relaxed slightly, then remembered the medic – Aina. He turned, but not fast enough and a hand hit him in the back of the neck. His eyes slowly closed and he started to pass out.

"Yanafu said to bloody him up a bit, didn't she?" the spider girl asked. There was no verbal response, but he was pummelled by what felt like hundreds of fists. His body could take it no more and he passed out.

**Sorry. I didn't like doing it, but it had to be done for the story (if not, then Itachi wouldn't have been captured which is very important) so yeah… sorry.**

**You are more than welcome to review and tell me just how much of a 'whatever-you-want-to-call-me', I am. I deserve it.**

**Alternatively, you **_**can**_** review and tell me what you thought of my fight scene (I know it's a bit bad but my Mum read my first attempt and told me that it was absolute rubbish and that I had to do it again, so this is actually version 2).**

**So yeah, see you next chapter (please?)!**


	27. Truths

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_Yanafu said to bloody him up a bit, didn't she?" the spider girl asked. There was no verbal response, but he was pummelled by what felt like hundreds of fists. His body could take it no more and he passed out._

Chapter 27 – Truths

Aina knelt down and checked the unconscious ninja's pulse, grinning when she found it.

"He was strong," Io commented. "Look at the others – they're all dead except Kurai, who's going to die soon. We'd better leave him – he'll only slow us down."

"You can carry Uchiha," Aina said. "I'll help Aoto." She bent down and roughly bandaged Itachi's wounds – it was more than their life was worth to let him bleed to death – before tying him up, a precaution for when he woke. Io nodded in agreement and scooped him up with two of her arms.

"Let's go," she said before running back to camp. Because they'd already packed up, they only paused to collect their belongings (leaving those of their dead comrades) before fleeing in the direction of the Akatsuki base.

"Hey, Aina," Io said. The medic looked at her. "Don't you find it funny that the two that escaped unscathed are female and that the only other survivor is an eight year old?" Aina grinned and nodded, shifting the boy onto her back so that she could run more easily.

Shizune ran as fast as she could, once Tonton had fetched her. To her confusion, she couldn't hear any sound of a battle, apart from the occasional scream. But it wasn't long before everything fell silent.

"I hope that means they've defeated their attackers," she commented to Tonton. The little pig oinked in agreement. When they finally arrived, Shizune gasped, the first thing she saw being Itachi, lying in a crumpled heap. She ran over to him, paling when she saw the damage. Concerned, she felt for a pulse but couldn't find one. However, she felt a spark of hope when she realised that his body was still warm. _If I can just get his heart started again…_ she thought, resting her hands on his chest. She forced her Chakra into his heart, demanding that it started beating again. Tense seconds dragged by as she hoped and hoped that she wasn't too late. She was about to give up when she felt a faint beat, followed by another. _Come on, Itachi!_ she willed. _Come on!_ The beats slowly got louder and more stable.

Once sure that it could function without her full attention, she looked around, searching for the younger Itachi. To her dismay, he wasn't there.

"Tonton?" she asked. "Where is he?" The pig sniffed around before oinking at her. "They took him?" Tonton nodded. "Go and get Sakura," she said. The little pig nodded again and ran off.

_Come on, Itachi,_ Shizune thought, reverting her attention back to the wounded Uchiha. _Pull yourself together._ Satisfied that his heart could operate on its own, she diverted her Chakra to some of his more serious injuries – where he had been punched by some Chakra powered fists. To her concern, she realised that the main damage was internal. Her Chakra flowed through his body, targeting the ruptured blood vessels and knitting the torn muscles back together. It took several minutes for the damage from the punches to mend. Just as she reattached the last torn ligament in his chest, there was a flurry of cherry blossoms and Sakura appeared, carrying Tonton. The pink haired kunoichi gasped when she saw her brother-in-law and ran to his side.

"What happened?" she asked. Shizune shrugged.

"They were attacked," she said simply. "They sent Tonton for help, but by the time I got here it was over."

"Where's Itachi?" Sakura asked, using her Chakra to set the broken ankle.

"Tonton told me that he was taken," Shizune said gently. Sakura paled but carried on healing the older Uchiha.

Once the pair of medics had healed their patient's wounds, they inspected the bodies of the attackers, trying to find out any information as to why they had attacked the two Uchihas.

"Yawara Eisuke, Fumisato Jiyuu, Fumisato Naoki, Ryuuhei Taiga…" Sakura muttered, reading their ID cards.

"Hey, Sakura!" Shizune called. "This one's still alive!" Sakura hurried to join her by a crippled heap that she vaguely remembered from the Jounin exams. She reached out her hands and gently closed the numerous sword wounds. The wolven boy slowly opened his eyes.

"Aina..?" he muttered as his eyes focused. Then his eyes widened in fear as he realised that the rest of the squad were no longer there and that the person looking down on him was a very angry mother.

"Where's my son?" she demanded. He shrugged. "Shizune, go get Ino – she's at my house – and take Itachi back?" The older woman nodded and walked away, picking up the unconscious Uchiha as she did so. Sakura sat on the ground and glared at the wolfboy. He gulped, pleased when something else caught her eye. She reached out and picked up her son's katana. Tears threatened to form as she saw all the blood. _At least he put up a fight,_ she thought, turning back to Kurai.

"How much are you going to tell me willingly?" she asked him. He shook his head. "Oh well, Ino will get something out of you," she told him, hearing footsteps approach.

"Sakura!" Ino said, walking over to her best friend. "Why do you want me?" The pink haired kunoichi looked at the blonde.

"He won't tell me anything," she said, gesturing towards Kurai. "Do you think you could get something out of him?" Ino grinned.

"I could try," she said, kneeling down and placing a hand on the unfortunate boy's forehead. She closed her eyes, concentrating.

"What happened?" Suigetsu asked. He and Karin had also come.

"Itachi's been kidnapped," Shizune said when Sakura failed to answer. "And his uncle's badly injured."

Kurai gave a piercing scream before collapsing, dead.

"Well?" Sakura asked. Ino looked exhausted.

"There was a Shīru on his mind, but I managed to wrestle some information from him," she said. Suigetsu offered her some water, which she drank gratefully.

"He was in one of four squads," she said. "They were sent out by Akatsuki. Two squads were targeting 'Uchiha', and two were targeting 'Hōzuki'. That's all I got before he gave out."

Suigetsu and Karin looked at each other, horrified.

"If they took Itachi then they're after family as well as ex-members," Suigetsu said.

"Surin's on a mission…" Karin said. "But…"

"Hanabi's still in the village," Suigetsu completed. "I'll go get her."

"Bring her back to my house," Sakura said. "If people gather there, they'll be harder to get at." Suigetsu nodded and went to find his daughter.

He didn't run; he didn't want to cause panic, but he walked quickly. He searched their house first, but she wasn't there. He forced himself to stay calm and went to check all her favourite spots. She wasn't in any of them. He was having difficulty keeping his panic down by this time. _Hanabi, where are you?_ he thought desperately.

He met Hidé and her squad, coming back from a mission.

"Have you seen Hanabi?" he asked them. They looked thoughtful.

"Last I saw her, she was on the bridge with Kisame," Hiroshi said. Suigetsu thanked him and made his way to the main bridge, surprised at himself for forgetting to check there.

To his relief, his daughter was there, having a conversation with her teammate. Usually, Suigetsu would have been a bit suspicious (_**A/N Dads**_), but he was only relieved that she wasn't alone.

"Hanabi," he said as he came to a stop beside her.

"What is it, Dad?" she asked, surprised by his serious attitude.

"I need to tell you something," he said. "You know of the Akatsuki, right?" She nodded. "Well, briefly, I was part of it." She stared at him.

"Okay… but why are you telling me this now? Why haven't you told me before if you were going to tell me?" Suigetsu was relieved that she wasn't taking it too badly.

"So was your mother," he added. "We never planned to tell you or Surin but…"

"But what?" she asked.

"You need to understand. Not that long ago, when Sasuke was captured, we, along with Juugo and Itachi, told Naruto everything we knew about them. It didn't seem like such a big deal at the time… but the Akatsuki appear to have found out." Hanabi looked at her father, confused.

"I'm really not getting this," she confessed.

"They've already gone after Itachi," her father explained.

"So they're probably going to come after you?" Hanabi guessed.

"Yes, but that's not all of it. They nearly killed Itachi, but that's not what I'm worried about," Suigetsu said.

"Then what **are** you worried about?" Hanabi asked.

"They kidnapped his nephew – Itachi," he said. Hanabi frowned.

"Why does that worry you?" she asked. "Ita-kun can look after himself." Suigetsu sighed in exasperation.

"They're not just after ex-members," he said urgently. "They're after our families as well." Hanabi paled.

"So… me and Surin… they're after us too?" she asked. Suigetsu nodded.

"We're not certain, but if they're going to take Itachi, it seems likely," he said. There was a laugh from behind them.

"Smart," a big, redheaded man said. Behind him, seven other ninja grinned. Suigetsu paled.

"Hanabi, run!" he ordered. "Go to the Uchiha mansion. Kisame – go with her!" Hanabi stared as her father blocked an attack. "GO!"

Kisame tugged on her sleeve.

"Come on," he said. "He can take care of himself." Hanabi nodded and ran, her teammate by her side. As soon as they were out of sight of the bridge, she veered away from the direction of the Uchiha mansion.

"Where are you going" Kisame asked.

"Hokage Tower," Hanabi replied. The black-haired teen nodded in understanding as they made their way to the tower. When they got there, Hanabi knocked on the door, even though she knew that the Hokage was alone.

"Come in," Naruto called. The two teens entered. "What is it?"

"Do you know that Itachi's been kidnapped by the Akatsuki and that his uncle was nearly killed?" Hanabi asked. Naruto stood in alarm.

"No, dattebayo_**(1)**_! When did this happen?" he exclaimed.

"I'm not sure, but right now Dad's fighting some down by the bridge. He told us that he and Mum told you about the Akatsuki recently…" Naruto nodded "… and that somehow that Akatsuki have found out and are targeting ex-members and probably their families," she explained.

"Where you with Suigetsu when they attacked?" Naruto asked. She nodded.

"He told us to run to the Uchiha mansion," Kisame said. "But Hanabi wanted to tell you." The Hokage nodded again.

"Go on, then," he said. "Leave the rest to me dattebayo!"

The teens nodded and ran to the Uchiha mansion, where Karin and Sakura were waiting.

"Hanabi!" Karin said when she saw her daughter. "Where's your father?"

"Fighting," Hanabi said. "He told me everything, but then they attacked us. He told me to run here while he held them off."

Worry clouded Karin's eyes and she appeared to want to go to help him but Sakura stopped her.

"We need you here," she said. "And isn't it a bit stupid to go there with the intent of fighting people who came here just to kill you?" Karin accepted the logic and ushered her daughter inside. Sakura let Kisame in as well.

Naruto paced his office floor. _What can I do?_ he wondered. _Kami, help!_ He wasn't usually given to praying much, but he really didn't know what to do. Just then, there was a puff of smoke and ANBU team 10 appeared. Naruto stopped pacing and grinned.

"You have perfect timing, dattebayo," he commented to the four teens. They grinned, but noticed his use of 'dattebayo' with some trepidation.

"Don't we always?" Arisu asked cheekily. "What is it?"

"Mikoto, give me your mission report later," Naruto said. "This is urgent, dattebayo. Mikoto – I want you to stay here." The Uchiha looked surprised by the order. "You three, go to the bridge. Suigetsu's being attacked and I want you to back him up, dattebayo." The three teenagers nodded and left. Mikoto sat on the floor, glaring at Naruto, who ignored her.

"Why have you sent my squad to fight, but not me?" she asked. There was no response. "Naruto…" He ignored her. A few minutes later, another ANBU squad arrived – they happened to be her classmates from the academy, U~iriamuson Izaberu, Nami, Nakano Tsukihana and Kyo.

"Save your mission report, dattebayo," Naruto said before any of them spoke. "Go to the bridge. Suigetsu's being attacked and I want you to back him up, dattebayo. There's already another squad there, but I'd feel happier if there were two of them, dattebayo." They nodded and left.

"Why are you not sending me to fight?" Mikoto demanded.

"I have another job for you, dattebayo," Naruto sighed. "But we need to wait for a certain squad to arrive." Mikoto huffed and crossed her arms.

_Like mother, like daughter,_ Naruto thought, amused, Mikoto's actions reminding him of Sakura. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he called. Jenifaa, Tani, Surin and Suzanna entered.

"Tell me later, dattebayo," Naruto said as Jenifaa opened her mouth to give the mission report. "There's something much more important going on right now, dattebayo." The young sensei closed her mouth, grey eyes confused. "Jenifaa – I want you to go to the bridge, dattebayo. Suigetsu's fighting there, as well as two ANBU squads. Get him out of there and to the Uchiha mansion, dattebayo. The ginger kunoichi nodded. When Naruto gave her no more instructions, she left. Tani looked at her sister in surprise, wondering why she was sat, sulking on the floor of the Hokage office.

"Mikoto – I want you to take this squad back to your house, where your mother and Karin are waiting, dattebayo." The Uchiha looked at the Hokage in surprise but did as she was told.

"Come on, you four," she said, including the sleeping Rebatsuka. They followed her towards the Uchiha mansion, confused. When they arrived, they were surprised to see that it was quite full.

"What's going on, Mum?" Mikoto asked Sakura, who had greeted them enthusiastically as they entered. Sakura didn't answer. "What is it with adults and not telling me anything today?" she asked, exasperated.

"Surin!" Karin shouted, catching sight of her son.

"What?" the twelve-year-old asked sulkily. "No-one's telling us anything." Hanabi ran up to her brother and hugged him. He looked shocked. "Everyone's acting really weirdly today," he commented.

Mikoto and Tani walked into the sitting room and gasped when they looked at the futon out on the floor. Their uncle was lying there, unconscious, while Shizune, Hinata (who had been at the house with Ino, Karin and Suigetsu) and Ino tended to him.

"What's going on?" Mikoto demanded. "Why won't anyone tell me anything? And why's Uncle injured?" Hinata stood and faced the sisters. "And where's Itachi?"

"Akatsuki." Hinata's soft voice suddenly sounded ominous. "They attacked your brother and uncle about an hour ago. They nearly killed your uncle…" she trailed off.

"And Itachi?" Mikoto demanded. Hinata looked down.

"They took him," she said. "From what we understand, they're after ex-Akatsuki members and their families."

"Itachi!" Tani sobbed. Mikoto kept her face emotionless.

"That's why Karin, Hanabi and Surin are here, and so many were sent to back Suigetsu up," she said, finally understanding. Hinata nodded.

"Need some help?" Arisu asked cheerfully as they arrived at the bridge. Tired, Suigetsu nodded. Hana activated her Sharingan and countered a kunai thrown by a redhead. Kurisotufuaa stood by her, expertly wielding a katana. A very multicoloured man lunged at Suigetsu. Weary, the water ninja tried to dodge, but stumbled. The ANBU realised that, if Suigetsu was that exhausted, the eight ninja were very formidable. A look of triumph was on the man's face. A jutsu similar to Chidori formed, aimed for Suigetsu. Before it connected, though, a wall of ice formed between it and Suigetsu. Dumbfounded, the attacker looked for the source and scowled as he met Arisu's wicked grin. More ice surrounded her as she was attacked by a bespectacled man. She then did what most ninja considered impossible – handsigns with just one hand. A storm of ice needles attacked him, piercing him in multiple places. He scowled, then winced as a fireball grazed him, aimed for and old shinobi that was attacking Hana and Kurisotufuaa. Hana formed a number of handsigns then disappeared. A turquoise-haired girl became the victim of her Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu.

"Katsuko!" a blue-skinned boy shouted. He ran at Hana in fury.

"No! Kodama!" Katsuko screamed as Hana used another Doton jutsu to bury her alive. Striking out with her heel, Hana sent Kodama flying into a tattooed boy. They both tumbled to the ground and Hana drew a scroll from a pouch in her uniform. Biting her thumb, she smeared blood over the contents before performing handsigns. There was a puff of smoke and a pack of ninja hounds appeared. Without invitation, they attacked the two fallen shinobi, ripping Kodama to pieces in an instant. The tattoos on the other boy started to ripple as he batted the dogs away with no apparent effort.

"Arisu!" Hana called. "Watch out for that one – he uses the tattoos to increase his Chakra levels!"

"Got it!" Arisu shouted back. Kurisotufuaa ran to join his girlfriend as she battled a redhead – the same one that had previously thrown a kunai at her.

Arisu snarled ferrally as the multicoloured man threw himself at her ice shield, then grinned.

"Bye bye," she said sadistically as she formed handsigns. A massive spike of ice rose from beneath his feet, cutting him clean in half.

"You haven't lost your touch, Ari," an auburn haired girl said. Arisu looked round and grinned.

"You've been sent too, Iz?" she called back. One of her closest friends grinned.

"Yup!" She looked around and saw the old ninja trying to sneak up on her. A nearby tree reached down and picked him up, tightening its hold on him until a very loud crack was heard. The tree then released him and he fell with a thud. He didn't stir. Recovered slightly, Suigetsu limped over and swung his Executioner's Blade, beheading him. A white girl leaped at him and he barely got his blade up in time, her speed was so intense. Despite being hounded by a new opponent, Arisu sent a rope of ice towards her, which surrounded the pale girl. Nami stabbed between the ribbons of ice, skewering her. The blonde, tattooed boy grabbed hold of Kurisotufuaa's left arm and squeezed. A loud crack could be heard as the bone splintered. Before any more damage was done, however, Hana drew her katana from its sheath and ran the blonde boy through.

"Thanks," Kurisotufuaa muttered as a ball of Chakra surrounded his arm, healing it. Hana nodded and was forced to dodge as the redhead threw a fireball at her.

Aware that the tattooed boy was still alive, Izaberu had a tree pick him up and crush him. More and more tattoos rippled and the branch soon snapped. As he fell, poised to land on his feet, massive icicles formed where he was going to land. Unable to avoid them, he impaled himself on them, screaming.

"That didn't work did it, Izaberu?" Hana mocked in a friendly way. Izaberu shrugged then pushed Hana out the way of a fireball, but got caught in it herself. The rest of her ANBU squad surged at the redhead. Hana backed up and lifted her friend, carrying her out of harm's way.

Kurisotufuaa looked up from his healing arm as she approached. With his free hand, he channelled some Chakra into Izaberu's burns. Satisfied that they would heal, he turned his attention to his girlfriend's minor injuries, to her protests.

Arisu sent an ice shurikan at her opponent, but he disappeared. She looked round for him and cursed. He was standing behind Suigetsu. She sent an ice wall to divide them, but she wasn't fast enough. A kunai buried itself in Suigetsu's back. The water ninja half turned in shock. Furious, Arisu sent hundreds of small icicles towards the attacker. They thudded into him at the same time as a volley of kunai. He dropped like a stone as Suigetsu collapsed. There was a flash of ginger and Jenifaa caught him before he reached the ground. Arisu watched as she carried him away, then turned in anger.

"Move!" she shouted to the other squad. They did so hurriedly as a massive ice spike rose beneath their feet. The redhead, like so many others, didn't stand a chance. The other six ANBU backed away from the attackers' bodies as hundreds of thousands of millions of icicles rushed towards the corpses, butchering them beyond recognition.

**Ouch. Arisu has a **_**nasty**_** temper, doesn't she?**

**In this fanfiction, Naruto's grown out of saying 'dattebayo' but when he's really worried or shaken, he'll revert back to his old habit.**

**If you have any ideas who the spy might be, and haven't already told me, then PM me or tell me in a review… I'm curious as to what you think!**


	28. Pursuit

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_Move!" she shouted to the other squad. They did so hurriedly as a massive ice spike rose beneath their feet. The redhead, like so many others, didn't stand a chance. The other six ANBU backed away from the attackers' bodies as hundreds of thousands of millions of icicles rushed towards the corpses, butchering them beyond recognition._

Chapter 28 – Pursuit

Karin stood by the door, worriedly watching for Suigetsu, hoping and praying that he was alright. When he finally appeared, cradled in Jenifaa's arms, she screamed and ran to him.

"Suigetsu!" she cried, taking him from Jenifaa and hugging him tightly.

"Karin…" Sakura said, walking over to her. The redhead shook her head and held him tighter.

"Karin," Sakura said more firmly. "Are you going to heal him, or am I?" That brought the kunoichi to her senses. She carried him indoors and laid him on an unoccupied futon. Realising that he was unconscious, she looked to Sakura, tears streaming down her cheeks. The pink-haired medic laid her hands on the unconscious man's chest and directed her Chakra to his wounds. Karin watched as a gash in his cheek closed, not even leaving a scar. It wasn't long before Sakura had finished, she backed out of the room and went to check on Itachi. To her delight, he had just woken up.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. He grinned.

"I'm surprised at how well I feel, all things considering," he said. Sakura smiled back at him. Mikoto and Tani started at the sound of his voice.

"So you've woken up," Mikoto said. "That's good. According to Shizune we nearly lost you."

"I'm not surprised," Itachi said. "They were tough. How's Itachi?" He could tell immediately that the news wasn't good.

"They took him," Mikoto said simply.

Hanabi and Surin walked in.

"Where's Mum?" Hanabi asked Sakura.

"Next door," she replied. "Your father was just brought in."

"Is he OK?" Surin asked, noticing her use of words.

"He should recover," Sakura said. "But he had some pretty serious injuries." The two Hōzuki children looked at each other and ran from the room. A minute later, Naruto walked in.

"Is anyone going after Itachi?" Mikoto demanded.

"Um, no," Naruto admitted. The females looked furious. "I don't have anyone to send, dattebayo!" he defended himself hastily.

"Send me and my squad," Mikoto said. Naruto looked as if he was about to argue. "You've kept me back from the fighting, let me do something useful!" she pressed. "And if they think they can get away with kidnapping my father and brother and nearly killing my uncle, they've got another think coming!" Her ferocity made Naruto waver slightly.

"How many of the ones that attacked us are dead?" her uncle asked suddenly.

"Five," Sakura replied.

"So that means that three are still alive. The odds are in Mikoto's favour, then," he said. Sakura looked furious.

"You can't be agreeing with her!" she said.

"She is ANBU," Itachi pointed out. "And they outnumber the enemy." Naruto nodded.

"You're right – and besides, we're forgetting something." The others looked at him in puzzlement. "Arisu," he said. "With that rare Kekkei Genkai of hers, she might well be a match for them on her own." Sakura looked doubtful.

"But…" she said. "Don't you think you might be underestimating the enemy?"

"There's a girl with eight eyes and six arms," Itachi broke in. "I didn't even get a scratch on her. I don't know who else survived, but the one that really brought me down was a young boy – but if he's still alive, he's injured."

"Let us go!" Mikoto pleaded. "And you forgot Hana. She'll make it easy to track them – or did you forget her Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu?" Naruto nodded.

"You've convinced me – now go, before your mother stops you, dattebayo!" Mikoto fled the room, grabbing her mask as she went.

"I don't believe you, Naruto!" Sakura stormed. "Letting her go like that! If they could take down Itachi and my son, it's likely that they can take down an ANBU squad!"

"You overestimate me," Itachi said tiredly. Sakura was about to retort, then realised that he was asleep. She instead chose to glare at Naruto.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said quietly. "But she wants to punish them for taking her brother and father, much like Sasuke was years ago. Even if I hadn't given her permission, she would have gone anyway – she's got your determination, remember?" Sakura sighed and started to calm down. Tears splashed down her face.

"But I'm scared of losing her. They've already got Itachi and Sasuke – and nearly killed him -" she gestured towards her brother-in-law. "- I don't want to lose everyone."

Naruto embraced her as her tears intensified.

"You won't lose everyone," Tani said. "Uncle's not dead, and chances are I'm not about to go haring off after them." Sakura looked at her gratefully.

Mikoto ran to the bridge, where she knew her squad were, as fast as she could. When she got there she saw eight, mutilated beyond recognition, bodies. Arisu was standing amongst the carnage and Mikoto knew that it was her work.

"Arisu! Hana! Kurisotufuaa!" she called. Her three squad mates looked at her. Arisu looked very angry, she noticed. Hana had minor injuries and Kurisotufuaa was tending to his arm.

"What are you doing here?" Hana asked.

"We've got a new mission," Mikoto said, approaching them. Arisu scowled.

"Unless it's assassination, I'm not interested."

"Itachi's been kidnapped, and we're going to get him back – and yes, Arisu, we get to kill people." The ice ninja's face lit up in morbid delight.

"So we're tracking Itachi?" one of the dogs asked, making Mikoto jump – she hadn't noticed them.

"Yes."

"So we're on a mission to save your brother," Arisu said. Mikoto nodded.

"The ninja that have him are very strong – they nearly killed Uncle. In fact, if Shizune had arrived any later, she wouldn't have been able to save him," she said.

"Where was he taken from?" one of the dogs asked. "It'll be easier to pick up the trail from there." Mikoto nodded and led the way to where she sometimes trained with her uncle. When they got there, they were stunned by the amount of blood.

"One… Two… Three… Four… Five bodies," Arisu counted joyfully. "If there were two squads then that means that three are still alive." The others nodded in agreement. The dogs started sniffing around and it wasn't long before they could identify which pools of blood belonged to Itachi. Mikoto looked at how much there was in despair.

"Animals!" she muttered angrily. Undeterred, the dogs found and led the ANBU along the trail that the attackers had used. They moved quickly. Silently, but quickly. All four were wearing their masks, but there was no mistaking the dangerous aura that surrounded them.

"We're catching up," the lead dog whispered. "At least one of them is injured, so that'll be slowing them down. It would also appear that they're carrying Itachi, which is also slowing them."

Mikoto was inwardly seething; she could only imagine how beaten up her brother was if his captors were having to carry him.

"Don't worry," Kurisotufuaa said. "They're probably either carrying him because they've knocked him out or because they don't want him running off." Mikoto smiled at her squad mate, slightly reassured by his words. They fell silent and followed the dogs for hours. The sun set, but their targets carried on so they didn't stop to rest.

By morning they were hot on the heels of their targets. The lead dog stopped, prompting the ANBU to do the same. Up ahead, they could hear voices – they were so close.

"I think Uchiha's waking up," one said – a girl.

"You're right, Io," another girl said. "How are you feeling, Aoto?"

"I'm OK," a boy said. "You can put me down, Aina."

"But…" the second girl, Aina, said.

"It might be a good idea to," Io said. "We have company. What timing." There was a groan, from Itachi, Mikoto realised. "Shut up." There was a thud. Mikoto balled her hands into fists. How **dare** they hurt her brother.

"You didn't have to punch him," Aina said reproachfully.

"I thought you said that Yanafu said to bloody him up," Io sulked.

"Fine. Just don't kill him. Ruiizu-chan won't be happy if you do that," Aina replied.

'_Bloody him up'?_ Mikoto thought furiously. _That's my brother you're talking about!_

"Come on out!" Io called. "I know you're there – I can sense your Chakra." The ANBU glanced at each other and nodded in agreement. They stepped out to where they could see the three followers – and the Akatsuki followers could see them.

"ANBU," the spider-like girl commented. "Could this possibly be that ANBU that **she** was talking about?" From the voice, they could tell that she was Io.

"Maybe," the silver-eyed girl said. "That one has the same hair as Uchiha," she said, gesturing towards Mikoto. That was Aina.

"I thought that **she** said that his sisters were on missions so they wouldn't be back until at least today," Io said.

"Well either way it doesn't look like we're going anywhere without a fight," the young boy – Aoto – said. Io nodded in agreement, then grinned, showing her needle-like teeth. Mikoto watched in anger as she dropped Itachi onto the ground – he landed in a crumpled heap.

A wave of water splashed towards them, but Arisu created a barrier of ice so that it didn't touch them. All four ANBU drew their katanas.

"Defensive," Io commented. "What a pain." Arisu grinned wickedly.

"Who said anything about me being defensive?" she inquired. Before Io could respond, a giant icicle erupted from the ground beneath her. Io dodged with frightening speed.

"You'll have to do better than that," she commented gleefully. Mikoto touched the ground lightly. A monstrous chasm opened, heading towards Aoto. He jumped into the air, only to be caught by her fireball. Water surrounded him, dousing the flames. Realising that it wouldn't be an easy victory, Mikoto activated her Sharingan. She removed her mask so that her vision wasn't impaired. Io grinned.

"Only two of those things?" she taunted, referring to tomoe per eye. "Your uncle had three."

"So does your brother," Aina chipped in. "Looks like you're weaker than them."

Hana followed suit, allowing her mask to fall to the ground. Like Mikoto, she had only two tomoe per eye. Following the Sharingan wielders' example, the bat and lion masks also fell to the ground. Io, Aina and Aoto were confronted by two pairs of furious Sharingans, steely dark eyes with more than a hint of bloodlust and a pair of determined blue eyes. For the first time, the three Akatsuki followers felt uneasy. Mikoto in particular looked livid. Forming more handsigns, she created a wall of earth, which towered above the young boy before crashing down on him. A wave of water weakly flowed towards her. Remembering what her uncle had said, she dodged it, in no doubt that the waves of water were very dangerous. It lapped at her toe, which instantly felt heavy. She looked down and her Sharingan saw that her Chakra was slowly being absorbed. She glared at the boy, her malice slightly unnerving him.

"Pesky Kekkei Genkai," she muttered, leaping up as another wave of water crashed towards her. The rubble on top of the boy shifted and his head emerged, looking very annoyed. Mikoto sent another fireball roaring towards him, which as before was absorbed by water.

The Ninken ran at Aina, fangs bared. Bored, she swatted them away, jets of water erupting from her fingers to soak their fur. It didn't faze the dogs: they just shook themselves and then attacked again. A sigh could be heard, and then Aina formed handsigns, prompting a water vortex. The dogs howled as they were washed away. Before Aina could finish them off, however, another vortex formed, battering against her. She looked to see Hana glaring at her, Sharingan blazing.

A small stream of ice trickled towards Io, who was somewhat distracted by the larger icicles that were furiously pelting her. Arisu grinned maniacally as the spidergirl was forced to dodge all of her attacks. Every so often, a Chakra-encased fist would head her way which she either dodged or blocked with an ice wall. Io leaped once more, landing on the ice that Arisu had been carefully manoeuvring to ensnare her. Ice crept up the girl's legs as she lost her footing. Up her legs and torso, immobilising four of her arms. Before the Bodifurīzu no jutsu was complete however, the two remaining active fists punched the thin ice, shattering it. Arisu cursed and sent tiny particles her way, refusing to back down or let up her relentless attack.

"You can't win!" Io shouted as she dodged. "Even if you beat me, you can't defeat the Akatsuki. Compared to them I'm weak and pitiful. Ruiizu-chan will annihilate you!"

Arisu scoffed.

"Bring them on. I'm in a bad mood right now." Dozens more icicles headed towards the spider girl, some actually managing to strike their target, drawing ink-blue blood. "You're not even human – you've got blue blood!"

Kurisotufuaa looked round at his teammates. Each appeared to be handling their opponent so he carefully made his way over to Itachi. The younger boy was in a crumpled heap, blood oozing from numerous wounds. He straightened Itachi so that he was lying on his back and slowly eased his Chakra into the battered body, repairing ruptured blood vessels and torn muscles. Io realised what he was doing and hurtled over to him furiously, but Arisu caused as ice wall to form, surrounding the two males and protecting them. Kurisotufuaa shut out the sound of the battle and focused on healing his teammate's brother.

Mikoto battled furiously. _Why is he so hard to kill?_ she wondered. _He can't be much older than eight and he's already injured!_ Another wave of water crashed towards her but she evaded it, not even getting scratched. Her eyes stung, and suddenly everything was suddenly sharper and in more detail. She saw the wave of water approaching her and saw where it would go. It made avoiding it so much easier. It took her about a second to figure out what had happened. Her Sharingan had evolved into a fully developed, three tomoe eye. She glared at the young boy, knowing from experience that a glare from a three tomoe Sharingan was much more terrifying than from a two tomoe. Aoto gulped, which increased Mikoto's confidence. She glanced towards where her brother lay and smiled, seeing that Kurisotufuaa was there and that there was a wall of ice surrounding them. She turned back to the boy and, thanks to her fully developed Sharingan, was able to avoid the wave of water. She ran at him, katana at the ready, and slashed at him fiercely. Aoto screamed in pain but Mikoto didn't stop. He cowered before her blows and sobbed, a pathetic wreak. She didn't stop slashing until there were little chunks of eight-year-old boy everywhere. There was no way that he could still be alive. Once satisfied, she turned to see which of her comrades needed help. Arisu seemed to be doing fine, so she went to help Hana against Aina. Once again, she slashed at the water ninja, forcing her back. The already injured kunoichi tried to perform a Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu, but failed miserably as Mikoto cancelled it out. Realising that Mikoto wouldn't want any help, Hana made her way over to where Arisu was fighting Io.

"The female Uchiha slashed and slashed at the dodging Aina, thanks to her Sharingan being able to tell where she would dodge to. To her fury, every time Aina was cut, she managed to heal herself. She compensated for the inconvenience by speeding up until her arm was just a blur. Like Aoto, Aina had no chance against the raging kunoichi. Before Mikoto could finish her off, however, a massive icicle rose from the ground, impaling the medic. She glared at Arisu.

"You said I could kill someone," Arisu reminded her sulkily, still battling Io. "And I figured you'd want to kill this one for beating up your brother."

"I was the one that killed Itachi!" the spidergirl boasted. Arisu's face hardened into a scowl.

"Let's both kill her," Mikoto suggested in a fury. Side by side, the two kunoichi charged at Io, forcing the spidergirl to retreat. Hundreds of icicles shot up from the ground at the same time, leaving Io with no escape. One icicle pierced her but didn't kill her.

"All yours," Arisu said to Mikoto, melting all the other icicles. The Uchiha walked over to Io, keeping a firm grip on her katana. When she was in range, Mikoto grinned wickedly. She then slashed suddenly, hacking lumps of flesh out of the girl as she screamed, a furious scowl on her face.

"No-one hurts my brother and gets away with it!" she hissed maliciously as her sword danced in a furious rhythm that only Mikoto could hear. Eventually, like Aoto, Io was just so many lumps of flesh. Arisu removed the wall that was surrounding Itachi and Kurisotufuaa and Mikoto dropped by her brother's side, breathing heavily. Her Sharingan faded to be replaced with concerned emerald eyes as she held her unconscious brother's hand. Her face white with fury, Arisu, like on the bridge, created hundreds of thousands of millions of ice needles which mutilated what was left of the corpses.

The lead hound sniffed the air.

"Sasuke's nearby," he said suddenly. Mikoto stared at him in shock.

"Is he alright?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"There's no blood," another dog said.

"We can't risk it," Hana said gently, looking at Mikoto. "If Sasuke's nearby then that means we're near the Akatsuki stronghold. We wouldn't stand a chance." Mikoto looked down.

"I know," she said. "It's just that…" she trailed off, looking wistfully in the directions that the dogs were indicating.

"I'll go," Arisu said. Her teammates stared at her.

"Are you **insane**?" Hana asked her.

"How long have you known me?" Arisu said. "You know I am. But if I can sneak in and luck's with me then I might manage it." Her teammates considered what she said.

"We'll go back towards the village a few leagues," Kurisotufuaa said. "Where we're less likely to be found. If you haven't caught up in a day, we'll assume that you've failed." Mikoto and Hana stared at him.

"You're agreeing?" Hana asked incredulously. Her boyfriend nodded.

"Have you any idea how much persuading I had to do to get Naruto to send us on this mission?" Mikoto asked. "I really want to try, but Mum's scared she'll lose me too."

"I'm an orphan," Arisu said. "I don't have any family to worry about me if I get caught. Friends, yes, but no family. Let me do it. I want to do something to help you. Mik, I haven't repaid you for saving me from my village yet. Let me do this for you!" Mikoto was taken aback by her unusual seriousness.

"OK," she said. "We'll wait a day." She turned and faced the way she'd come, replacing her wolf mask. Kurisotufuaa knelt down and picked up his lion mask before Hana helped him put Itachi on his back.

"I'll go with you," a pug said. Hana looked at him in shock.

"But, Eiichi…" she said.

"What?" asked her hound. "Arisu has a better chance of success if I go with her because I can lead her directly to Sasuke – she won't have to search for him. Hana accepted the logic and replaced her owl mask before turning to follow Mikoto and Kurisotufuaa, who had already started walking. Arisu picked up her bat mask before watching her teammates go, Eiichi at her heels. Once her fellow ANBU were out of sight, she turned in the direction of the Akatsuki base.

**There's chapter 28.**

**If anyone picked up that Arisu was more angry about Uncle Itachi being injured than Itachi jr, it's not for any romantic reasons, OK? It's because she's known Itachi jr for a few years and knows what sort of damage he can take. On the other hand, she doesn't know much about Uncle Itachi and has a lot of respect for him.**

**I can't help noticing that I've lost a lot of readers (probably because of chapter 26) so I want to give anyone who's stayed with the story a massive thank you – it means a lot to me.**

**Reviews mean a lot to me as well. I've been getting very depressed because I'm getting one or two per chapter, so a cyber cookie to **Akari Aika-Again and Again-**, **Akatsuki Sakura Uchiha**, **DemonFireFox** and **0xHannahx0** for reviewing chapters 26 and/or 27!**

**And if you review this chapter you also get a cyber cookie, so what's stopping you? (I do take anonymous reviews, by the way!)**


	29. Osutin Ruiizu chan

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_I'll go with you," a pug said. Hana looked at him in shock._

"_But, Eiichi…" she said._

"_What?" asked her hound. "Arisu has a better chance of success if I go with her because I can lead her directly to Sasuke – she won't have to search for him. Hana accepted the logic and replaced her owl mask before turning to follow Mikoto and Kurisotufuaa, who had already started walking. Arisu picked up her bat mask before watching her teammates go, Eiichi at her heels. Once her fellow ANBU were out of sight, she turned in the direction of the Akatsuki base._

Chapter 29 – Osutin Ruiizu-chan

They stopped outside a cave and looked in.

"So that's the Akatsuki base," Arisu muttered. Eiichi nodded in agreement. He made to go in but Arisu stopped him. "Wait." She performed the handsigns for a jutsu that would conceal her and Eiichi. Once she was finished, they carefully entered, Eiichi leading. It was a total maze and Arisu soon lost her bearings. It pained her to be totally reliant on a dog, but she had no choice. Eventually, they emerged in a giant cave. A giant wooden statue with ten fingers pointed up at the sky took up the entire cavern. Looking at it, Arisu could see five people standing on the fingers. From what she could hear of their conversation, they appeared to be discussing assassination attempts.

She crept very slowly through the cavern, following Eiichi into a side cave. It wasn't actually a cave, more like a natural corridor that they followed deep into the mountain.

_I hope there's a back entrance,_ Arisu thought. _I don't want to have to sneak past those five again._

Eiichi stopped outside a door and carefully nudged it open.

"Who's there?" someone asked. Their voice had an underlying hiss to it. "Is that you, Ruiizu-chan?"

Inwardly, Arisu cursed, having no wish to reveal her presence.

"Hello?" The voice had become suspicious. Arisu did the only thing she could – she encased the speaker with ice, muffling him so that he couldn't be heard. Because the ice was blurry, the guard wouldn't be able to see her.

"The only other person in here is Sasuke," Eiichi whispered. Arisu relaxed and released the jutsu.

"Tell me if anyone comes," she whispered back, even though they were far enough from the main cave not to be heard. She cautiously went further into the small cave, further past the guard, until she could see Sasuke. Thankfully, he was awake and his eyes widened in shock when he saw her. She drew a kunai and cut his bonds and removed his gag.

"Arisu…" he whispered. "What..?"

"Shh!" she said, looking around warily. Seeing no-one, she performed the concealing jutsu so that no-one could see her, Sasuke or Eiichi. "Is there another way out?" she asked the dog, who shrugged.

"I dunno."

"There is," Sasuke said quietly. "I'll show you…" He tried to stand but collapsed, his legs having cramped up. Arisu caught him and helped him to stand. Carefully, they made their way out of the room and Sasuke led the way towards a small door which was almost invisible.

"How did you know about this?" Arisu asked as they walked out.

"It's the way they brought me in," he said. "They didn't actually catch me until I'd left the cave." His eyes widened as he remembered something. "There's a spy!" he said. "Ruiizu has a spy in Konoha!"

"We worked that out," Arisu said as they walked out. They travelled in silence around the mountain and crept past the cave entrance.

"How did you find the base?" Sasuke asked. Arisu shrugged and released the jutsu, since they were now a fair distance away from the mountain.

"We were tracking some members…" she broke off as they arrived at the battle ground "… as you can see…"

"They're from the squad that was sent to kill my brother and capture Itachi," Sasuke said. "Are they OK? What about Suigetsu and Karin?"

"Mmm," Arisu said as she sped up – she could feel the ice around the guard slowly melting. "We've got Itachi, Suigetsu's injured… not sure about the other two…"

Sasuke accepted what she said and didn't say any more. They travelled in silence, led by Eiichi, for about an hour. Finally, they heard a dog bark, and Eiichi barked in response. The next minute, Mikoto had run up to them and embraced her father.

"Dad!" she sobbed. "You're safe!"

"We'd better move," Arisu said suddenly. "Akatsuki are about to find out that he's escaped."

Mikoto nodded and supported her father, giving Arisu a rest. When they reached where Hana, Itachi and Kurisotufuaa were, they saw that they were ready to go. Itachi had come round and was leaning heavily on Kurisotufuaa. His eyes lit up when he saw his father. Sasuke, on the other hand, saw how much blood was staining his son's clothes and felt angry towards the squad that had been sent to kidnap him.

"How are Karin, Suigetsu and Itachi?" he asked the ANBU squad as they travelled towards Konoha.

"Karin's fine," Mikoto said. "Mum said that Suigetsu was badly injured but that he will recover."

"What about your uncle?" Sasuke pressed, fearing the worst.

"According to Shizune, he nearly died, but he's recovering quickly. He came round for a bit just before we left."

"Hey, Sasuke?" Arisu asked suddenly. He looked at her. "Do you know who the spy is?"

"Yes. It's…"

* * ***(Heh heh, I'm not telling you just yet! :P)**

The guard waited impatiently for the ice to melt. When it finally did, he looked towards Sasuke and his golden eyes widened in shock – the Uchiha was gone. Panicking, he sent some snakes to find him. When one told him that Sasuke was no longer in the mountain he ran to where the Akatsuki were having a meeting.

"Ruiizu-chan!" he called. Annoyed at being interrupted, the girl jumped down from her perch.

"What? This had better be important, Orochimaru," she said threateningly. A cloud of dust started to form behind her.

"S-Sasuke-kun's escaped!" the ex-Sannin said, looking nervously at the cloud of dust. It thickened as Ruiizu-chan's anger intensified.

"The reason that **you** were guarding him is because I thought that **you** would be able to prevent any escape attempts," she said menacingly. The dust started to creep towards him.

"The-door-opened-but-no-one-came-through-I-asked-who-was-there-but-no-one-answered-I-was-about-to-attack-but-then-I-was-encased-in-ice-I-couldn't-do-anything-please-don't-kill-me!" he gushed, like most, terrified of Ruiizu-chan. To his relief, the cloud of dust dissipated.

"Ice…" Ruiizu-chan hissed.

"Ruiizu-chan?" Yanafu asked, jumping down to stand by her side.

"… and I thought she was dead…" the young teen muttered, ignoring her aide. "This complicates things…"

"What does?" Zetsu asked, as the rest of Akatsuki joined her.

"Not what… who," Ruiizu-chan said. "Arisu."

The rest of Akatsuki stared at her, uncomprehending. _"Arisu?"_ they thought. _"Who's that?"_

"How does this… Arisu… complicate things?" Kisame asked warily.

"She's powerful," Ruiizu-chan said. "The only person that exists that might be able to best me in a fight. I thought she died years ago… I've been too careless…"

A snake slithered up to Orochimaru and hissed to him.

"What did it say?" Yanafu asked. Ruiizu-chan glared at him, silently demanding him to tell her.

"She's found the remains of Io, Aina and Aoto not far from here," he said. He looked directly at Ruiizu-chan. "More ice is there."

"So… Arisu's fighting for Konoha now…" Ruiizu-chan mused. "Now that they have Sasuke back, they won't surrender…" Her blue eyes flashed. "Summon all our followers. Now that Iwagakure has fallen, we have more. We go to attack Konohagakure!" Pointed teeth were visible as she grinned. _It's been a while… Arisu…_

**Shall I finish the chapter there? I'll decide in a minute. Meanwhile, have a think as to how Ruiizu-chan knows Arisu… who is now obviously NOT the spy, despite what most of you seemed to think!**

**Hmm…**

**Fine… I'll give you a bit more… After all, I did leave it for three weeks, so I suppose I owe you guys that much…**

Arisu sneezed.

"Are you OK?" Hana asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Arisu said, although truthfully she felt a bit uneasy.

Itachi was staring at his father.

"She's the spy?" he asked. He couldn't believe it – she was his friend!

"What's this 'Ruiizu-chan' like?" Mikoto asked her father.

"I'll tell you when we get back. It saves having to explain things twice," he said. "Seeing as we're nearly there." He was right – the gates of Konohagakure were visible.

As they walked through the gates, Kotetsu and Izumo stared. They couldn't believe their eyes – Uchiha Sasuke and Itachi injured? They must have been dreaming, surely?

ANBU squad 10, under Mikoto's suggestion, headed straight for the Uchiha mansion. When they got there, the first person they met was Suzanna, who was sitting outside.

"Itachi. Sasuke," she said in surprise. Rebatsuka woke up and her head emerged out of her sister's shoulder so that she could see for herself.

"I heard that you were captured," she commented. Sasuke nodded.

"Who are you talking to?" they heard Tani call as she walked towards the door.

"TANI!" they heard Sakura shout. "Get back here **right now**! Your sister's already run off – and your brother and father… she broke off.

"Hey! Sakura!" Suzanna called.

"Come here a minute? Rebatsuka interrupted. There was the sound of running footsteps as the medic ran to the door. She opened it and gasped.

"Look who we found," Arisu said. Sakura launched herself at Sasuke, hugging him tightly.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" she sobbed into his shoulder. He hugged her back.

"How come you're allowed out but I'm not?" Tani demanded. Mikoto walked in to pacify her angry sister. The rest of the ANBU squad followed with Itachi. Sakura practically dragged her husband into the house.

"Daddy!" Tani said when she saw her father. Noticing that her mother was hugging him, she turned her attention to her brother. She looked shocked when she saw his bloodstained clothes but hugged him anyway.

"What did you say, Tani?" her uncle asked, leaning against a doorpost. His eyes widened when he saw his younger brother. Mikoto glared at him.

"I'm pretty sure that you're not supposed to be walking around just yet," she said. He looked up at the ceiling.

"Maybe…" he said evasively. He looked at his nephew. "You OK, Itachi?" he asked. The teenager nodded. Sakura looked round and saw her son… and brother-in-law.

"Itachi!" she scolded. "I don't recall saying that you could walk around."

The older Uchiha winced.

"I got curious," he protested. Sasuke limped over to his brother.

"You're alright," he said, relieved.

"I am now," Itachi replied. "But I wasn't." Sasuke looked at him in concern. "Apparently they nearly lost me," he explained.

"Guess I got lucky then," Suigetsu said. Sakura turned and glared at him.

"Why is everyone walking around when I specifically told them to rest?" she demanded. Suigetsu ignored her.

"You back then, Sasuke?" he asked. Sasuke nodded, leaning against the wall by his brother.

"Suigetsu!" Karin scolded, coming down the stairs. "I leave you alone for a minute…" He shrugged, then winced. Her face softened slightly and she walked over to him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said in surprise, entering the house. He turned and looked at the ANBU. "I don't recall that being part of your mission," he told them. Arisu shrugged.

"Well, we knew where he was so what were we supposed to do?" she asked. "Leave him?" Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not complaining," he said. He looked at the injured ninja. "Perhaps it would be a good idea if, instead of standing around chatting, we sat down in the living room?" he suggested. The ninja all nodded and made their way into the living room. Once they were all comfortable, Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"Arisu told me that you know that there's a spy," he said. Naruto nodded. "I know who it is."

"Who?"

Before Sasuke could answer, Anbaa poked her head around the door.

"So my eyes didn't deceive me," she said. "You really are back, Sasuke." She looked at the gathering of ninja. "Oh, sorry! Am I interrupting something?"

"Not really," Naruto said. "You know that we worked out that there was a spy?" She nodded. "Well Sasuke was just about to tell us who it is." Her eyes widened.

"Well don't let me stop you," she said, and started to leave, but Sasuke's voice stopped her.

"The spy is Anbaa," he said, glaring at her. She turned at looked at the now-shocked ninja. Naruto stared at her.

"You?" he asked incredulously.

She laughed, her luminous green hair shining in the light of the sun.

"Well the cat's out of the bag, isn't it?" she said, making no attempt to deny it. "Yes, it's me. I was the one that told Ruiizu-chan that Sasuke would be paying her a little visit. I was the one that told Aina and Aoto when to strike, and where. I'm the one that told Genya and Daisuke where they'd find Suigetsu and Hanabi. It was all me. Bye!" Before anyone could stop her, she'd vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"Gone to report to her mistress," Sasuke said sourly. Naruto looked at him.

"This might not be the best time to ask," he said. "But what did you find out?" Sasuke closed his eyes, thinking.

"There are five members," he said. "Madara, Kisame and Zetsu we already knew about. Then there's Ruiizu, the leader. They're all terrified of her, except her aide, Yanafu, who's the fifth member. They've conquered Kiri, Kumo and Iwa and Konoha is their next target. As you may have figured out, they've sealed the Hachibi, so the Kyuubi is the only one left."

Naruto shrugged.

"It was inevitable that it would come to this," he said. "What are Ruiizu and Yanafu like?"

"Young. I'd put them both at about thirteen, but they're very powerful. Yanafu can Shīru people's minds. Ruiizu seems to be able to control dust, much like you control ice, Arisu."

"What do they look like?" the ex-Kiri kunoichi asked.

"Yanafu has long black hair with purple streaks, part of which is tied up in a small bun. She's got dark eyes. Ruiizu's small. She's got short brown hair with flecks of red. She's got light blue eyes and wears glasses."

He fell silent as a cloud of dust materialised. Its shape changed until it looked like a young teen – identical to Sasuke's description.

"Speak of the devil…" he said warily.

"… and the devil will appear," Ruiizu-chan said. "Was I really that bad?" she asked childishly. "And there's no point trying to attack me," she added. "This is only a hologram." She looked round the room. "Nee-chan. I haven't seen you for years," she said. **(A/N – Nee-chan means big sister if you didn't know)**

"_Nee-chan?"_ nearly everyone thought. Ruiizu-chan looked at their confused faces and laughed.

"You didn't tell them?" she asked, turning to look at Arisu.

"I wasn't certain it was you," the kunoichi replied, glaring at her. "You were expecting to see me. Let me guess – you realised that I was still alive when the guard told you about being encased in ice?"

"No-one else can control ice that well, dear sister," Ruiizu-chan said. "But I have to admit that it was a shock to realise that you survived."

"You're the younger – if either of us had died, it would have been you," Arisu reasoned. Ruiizu-chan looked round at everyone else.

"Oh, I'm being rude and ignoring you," she said sarcastically. "I haven't even introduced myself. I am Osutin Ruiizu, daughter of Osutin Iori and Aemi, younger sister of Osutin Arisu, outcast from Kirigakure and leader of the Akatsuki." Her large, child's eye blinked from behind her glasses. "Goodbye. I'll see you all soon."

With that she disappeared. Everyone sat in shock. It was a few minutes before anyone spoke.

"**That's** the leader of the Akatsuki?" Tani asked in disbelief. "She's not much older than me."

"She's thirteen," Arisu said. "I thought she died two years ago."

"She obviously thought the same thing about you," Hana said. "Were you both thrown out at the same time?"

Arisu nodded.

"Someone from Akatsuki must have rescued her," she said. "Like you guys rescued me." She looked down. "I knew she was ambitious, but I never thought she'd join them." Hana put her arm around her.

"I know it's a shock," Naruto said "but she's our enemy now. How strong is she?"

Arisu looked up at him.

"Strong. We have different Kekkei Genkais. I, as you know, can manipulate ice – a trait I got from my mother, while Ruiizu can control dust, inherited from our father. We both had unusually good control over our Kekkei Genkais – most people in our family had minimum control but we could – and still can – kill with a glance. She's also very clever, which could be to our advantage."

Everyone looked at Arisu in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"She could probably take on the entire village single-handed, but she won't. She'll try to intimidate us with numbers."

"But how does that help us, aside from the fact that every Konoha shinobi and kunoichi will fight, no matter what the odds, to protect our village?" Tani asked.

"She, like me, grew up in Kiri," Suigetsu said, to everyone's surprise. "It's basic tactics that we were taught – and tactics that, now we know about them, we could take measures to outsmart."

Arisu nodded.

"But, Sasuke," she said. The Uchiha looked at her in surprise. "You said that Kiri, Kumo and Iwa are under her control, and that her next aim is Konoha. Nearly everyone looked at her blankly.

"So Suna are unconquered," Itachi (the younger one) commented. "And the same goes for the smaller countries."

Arisu nodded again.

"We're allied with Suna," Naruto said, catching on to their meaning. "If we could get word to them…"

"What about the smaller countries?" Mikoto asked. "If we could convince them of the threat that Akatsuki poses, they might help."

"But what if they're already allied with Akatsuki?" Naruto asked. "I don't want to risk sending messengers if they're not going to come back."

"I'll go," Arisu said. "After all, she's my sister." Naruto looked like he wanted to protest.

"Naruto," Sasuke said. "They're right. We need as much help as possible if we're going to defeat Akatsuki."

Naruto still looked uncertain.

"But I don't want to send any of the village's ninja," he said. "I could be sending them on a suicide mission, dattebayo!"

"Well then send strong shinobi," Tani said. "Ask for volunteers. It's a risk, but we need all the help we can get."

Naruto sighed and gave in.

"You're right. Arisu – round up a few volunteers and send them to my office." The kunoichi nodded and left.

"Us, too," the rest of her ANBU squad said. Naruto sighed.

"Anyone related to an ex-Akatsuki member stays," he said firmly. Mikoto glared at him.

"Why?" she demanded.

"They may still be targeting you," he said. "No arguments. Mikoto scowled but relented. Hana and Kurisotufuaa took that as permission and vanished.

"Can we volunteer?" Rebatsuka asked. Naruto nodded absent-mindedly and the sisters disappeared. Sakura glared at her family, silently forbidding them to even consider trying to make Naruto change his mind about them.

When Naruto entered his office an hour later, he was surprised at the number of ninja that greeted him. As he'd expected, Arisu, Hana and Kurisotufuaa were there. Among the others he could see Suzanna and Rebatsuka, Kakashi, Anko, Izaberu, Tsukihana, Nami and Kyo.

"You wanted volunteers," Arisu pointed out, seeing his surprise. "Have you forgotten that every ninja in the village will gladly risk their life for it?"

Naruto sighed.

"You did tell them what they're volunteering for, right?" he asked.

"Of course I did!" Arisu confirmed.

"So we will send word to Suna – Suzanna, Rebatsuka, Kentaro (Hidé's younger brother), Isas, Kei and Kaname can go and talk with the Kazekage." The six ninja nodded.

"Izaberu, Tsukihana, Nami, Kyo, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru, go to Taki. Hana, Arisu, Kurisotufuaa, Kakashi, Anko and Jenifaa, go to Ame and Hidé, Hiroshi, Deidara, Aiko, Hanabusa and Jun go to Kusa. Go as soon as you're ready."

The twenty four ninja nodded and left.

"I hope I'll see you all again," Naruto muttered. "Alive."

**Whew! Ten pages! Wow…**

**So, Anbaa was the spy, and Arisu and Ruiizu-chan are sisters! Congratulations to **Suigetsu-is-da-bomb** who was the only person to ask me if Anbaa was the spy! Have a cyber cookie for your powers of deduction. If you were part of the majority who blamed Arisu… don't worry - I framed her so don't feel bad, OK?**

**Here's a list of the hints I dropped though:**

*** I said that the spy had green hair, purple eyes and pointy teeth, and never described Anbaa!**

*** I said that the spy was present when the Uchiha family found out about Sasuke's capture. She didn't say anything, but Anbaa was there.**

*** I made it clear that the spy was a friend of Mikoto's ANBU squad – I showed Anbaa to get on well with Mikoto and Arisu.**

*** Sasuke recognised her, which meant that she wasn't using a Henge no jutsu, but the assassination squad didn't show any signs of recognition when they came face-to-face with Arisu.**

**The three people I expected to be suspected were Anbaa, Arisu and Hanabi, so if you suspected one of them I did my job properly!**

**So, what did you think? Tell me!**

**Oh, and by the way, '**Dear Writers**' by **LoVe-WiLl-fInD-a-WaY** features this story (well, it has Itachi slating it, but still) so please read it!**


	30. Sunagakure

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

"_So we will send word to Suna – Suzanna, Rebatsuka, Kentaro (Hidé's younger brother), Isas, Kei and Kaname can go and talk with the Kazekage." The six ninja nodded._

"_Izaberu, Tsukihana, Nami, Kyo, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru, go to Taki. Hana, Arisu, Kurisotufuaa, Kakashi, Anko and Jenifaa, go to Ame and Hidé, Hiroshi, Deidara, Aiko, Hanabusa and Jun go to Kusa. Go as soon as you're ready."_

_The twenty four ninja nodded and left._

"_I hope I'll see you all again," Naruto muttered. "Alive."_

Chapter 30 – Sunagakure

"How come we get the easy mission?" Rebatsuka complained. She had opted to walk by herself, so that she wasn't a vulnerability if she was separated from her sister during the fight against Akatsuki that was looming threateningly.

"Who says that this will be easy?" Kentaro asked, his bespectacled dark brown eyes blinking owlishly.

Kaname sighed.

"No bickering," she said. "It's still a mission, even if we're always in allied territory."

"Yeah," Suzanna said, for once disagreeing with her older sister. "We're lucky Naruto let us on this mission."

"What do you mean?" she was asked.

"Akatsuki are everywhere. He wouldn't let Mikoto, Itachi or Hanabi go. Same with Surin and Tani."

"Why?" Isas asked. "Mikoto's talented… why stop her going? And Itachi's a Jounin…"

"Don't you know?" Rebatsuka butted in. "Akatsuki's on the move and they're targeting ex-members and their families."

"Itachi…" Kei said, catching on. "He was a member…" Rebatsuka and Suzanna nodded in unison.

"So was Sasuke and the Sound Squad," they said.

"The Uchiha Clan's already been targeted," Rebatsuka continued.

"Are they OK?" Isas asked, concerned.

"They'll recover," Suzanna replied evasively.

"What happened?" Kentaro asked.

"First Sasuke was captured on a mission then Itachi and his uncle were attacked whilst training. Itachi was kidnapped and his uncle very nearly died."

"What about the Hōzukis?" Kei asked.

"Karin, Hanabi and Surin are fine – Hanabi was attacked but Suigetsu was there and told her to run while he held them off. He's injured." The six of them travelled in silence for a time.

"So…" Isas said a while later, breaking the silence. "Mikoto's OK?"

"Angry and being very protective of her family but yes, she's unharmed," Suzanna assured him.

Silence resumed as they travelled through the familiar forests of the Hi no Kuni. Although none of them showed it, the inevitable upcoming battle was playing on their minds. Battles meant deaths and the loss of people important to you. Although young, they all knew that war wasn't something to laugh off and ignore. All six worried about who might die.

The next day, they were pulled out of their thoughts by the end of the forest – and the beginning of a desert. They had arrived in the Kaze no Kuni.

"Let's hope there aren't any sandstorms," Kentaro commented. Cautiously, for none of them had been to Sunagakure before, they made their way towards the hidden village. They hadn't gone far before they caught sight of a group of travellers camped in the sand near an oasis.

"Let's avoid them," Kei said. "I don't like the look of them. And besides – they outnumber us easily." The others accepted her logic and changed direction, so they would stay away from the travellers. They were probably perfectly innocent people, but they weren't taking chances, not with Akatsuki being so active. But before they had gone very far, the travellers had intercepted them. They wore no headband to show their allegiance, but they were obviously ninja.

"Konoha," the leader said. "Now why would you be travelling through Kaze no Kuni? Not to visit Suna, surely?" he sneered. He received no answer. "Say something!" Silence answered. The big man got frustrated and drew a kunai. Still the Konoha ninja didn't react. "Cowards!" he taunted. It became quickly apparent that he wasn't going to get an answer out of them, so he charged, aiming for Suzanna. She didn't move, but to his astonishment, a hand appeared out of her chest, wielding a kunai which blocked his.

"What the-" he exclaimed. He looked at her companions and started in surprise. He had been sure that there were six of them… so why could he only see five? He looked around wildly, trying to find the sixth.

"Looking for someone?" Rebatsuka asked, her head emerging from Suzanna's neck. The ninja gasped in surprise.

"What? How?" he spluttered.

"You don't need to know," Suzanna said. She kicked at him, causing him to howl in pain.

"There's little that's more painful than a three-legged kick," Rebatsuka commented. "Especially if it's a boy and you get them where the sun don't shine…" She laughed, soon joined by Suzanna. Isas and Kentaro didn't find it funny, although Kei and Kaname were smiling. Their attacker charged, intent on stabbing the young kunoichi. Once again, the kunai was stopped by Rebatsuka, but this time she came further out of Suzanna and stabbed him. He dropped like a stone. All six tensed, expecting the man's companions to attack, but they didn't, instead opting to flee.

"Did you kill him?" Kentaro asked. Rebatsuka shook her head.

"He's just knocked out," she said, emerging from her sister's body.

"I wonder why he challenged us," Kei commented as they resumed their journey towards Sunagakure.

"…" No-one could answer her.

After about an hour of walking, Kentaro stopped.

"What is it?" Isas asked.

"Sandstorm," the thirteen year old said, pointing at a cloud of sand that was rapidly approaching.

"Uh-oh," the others muttered.

"I guess we'll have to hunker down until this is over," Kaname said. The others nodded and sat in a circle – facing inwards – and trying to cover their bare skin.

"Arisu's ice would be _very_ useful right now," Rebatsuka said. Her companions agreed whole-heartedly.

"Or Hanabi," Suzanna added. "Anyone with defensive jutsus…" she trailed off, looking at Isas, who quickly caught onto her meaning.

_Doton Kekkai: Dōmu!_ He encased them in a mound of earth, preventing the majority of the sand from assailing them. Odd grains got through the cracks, but most was kept out. The six relaxed. They had nothing to do except talk until the storm had passed.

"Do you know how long we've got until the Akatsuki's attack?" Isas asked the Genin. Rebatsuka shrugged.

"Dunno, but I hope the Uchihas will recover soon. We might get back after the assault." Silence greeted her words.

"How injured are they?" Kei asked.

"Sasuke's just got cramp, I think," Suzanna said. "He was limping but he didn't seem injured."

"Itachi-kun is pretty beat up, but it probably won't take him long to recover – he's lost a lot of blood but aside from that… Nothing's broken at least," Rebatsuka informed them.

"His uncle's the worry," Suzanna continued. "He very nearly died. Shizune managed to save him, but he can barely move and is spending most of his time asleep."

"I hope he's well enough to fight soon," Isas said. "He's one of the village's strongest fighters."

"We'll probably manage without him – we have in the past – but it'll be tough," Kei said. They fell silent, thinking about their injured comrades and hoping that they'd recover swiftly. The wind howled, battering against Isas's earth dome. Silence reigned for an unmeasured amount of time.

Eventually, the sand stopped assaulting the dome and Isas released his jutsu. The sight that greeted them was that of a teenage girl and a young woman in her early twenties.

"Konoha shinobi," the teenager spat. She wore a Suna headband which was scratched through.

"_A criminal!"_ the six Konoha ninja realised.

"They're only young," the older female said. Her Getsugakure headband was also scratched.

"I know, Etsu," the sixteen year old said. "Besides, I'm not in a killing mood at the moment."

The Konoha ninja looked at them, taking in their appearance. Etsu's hair was red with black streaks. Her eyes were a deep purple, surrounded by thick black eyeliner. The other kunoichi had purple hair and green eyes, not as startling as Itachi's, but definitely a clear colour. She was the taller of the two, standing at about 5'9".

"There's another reason to let them live, Rushi," Etsu said. "They will help us in their own way as Akatsuki are targeting their village…"

"So if I spare them, that damned organisation could be wiped out once and for all," Rushi finished. "I see what you mean, Etsu." She looked at the ninja facing her. "I am Kurotenshi Rushi and this is Gin Etsu. Remember our names, for one day we shall be your downfall." She cackled and disappeared, followed by Etsu.

"Trouble," was how Rebatsuka summarised them. "A goth and a psychopathic teen." Suzanna nodded in agreement.

"Let's continue with our mission," Isas said, although he too was shaken up by the meeting. The six ninja headed towards the domes of Sunagakure, visible in the distance.

Upon arriving at the gates of Sunagakure sometime later, they produced their ninja ID cards for inspection. Kei also showed a letter from Naruto, explaining why they had come. They were led to where the Kazekage was.

"Messengers from Konoha, Kazekage-sama," their escort said respectfully before leaving. Gaara looked at the six ninja and smiled.

"Welcome," he said. "Judging by your faces, this is not a visit just to say hello, is it?"

"No, Kazekage-sama," Kaname said.

"Gaara," the Kazekage corrected her.

"Gaara. Recently Uchiha Sasuke was sent on a mission to investigate the Akatsuki…" she paused as Gaara held up a hand.

"This seems as though this will be a long story. Come with me." He stood and walked out a door at the back. Following him, the six Konoha ninja entered a room with luxurious furnishings. Mamoru, Usagi and Taro were there, along with an older shinobi and kunoichi.

"My siblings, Kankuro and Temari," Gaara introduced them. "You have already met my son, niece and nephew." Kaname nodded in greeting.

"Uzumaki Kaname, Nara Kei, Ryu Isas, Peisu Rebatsuka, Peisu Suzanna and Hyuuga Kentaro," she introduced herself and her companions.

"Take a seat," Gaara said, sitting himself. His family and the Konoha ninja followed suit. "Now, tell me why you're here."

"Recently, Uchiha Sasuke was sent on a mission to investigate Akatsuki," Kaname said. "However, they caught him. A day later, four squads of Akatsuki's followers were dispatched with specific targets. The first two squads nearly killed the ex-Akatsuki member, Uchiha Itachi, and kidnapped the newly-appointed Jounin, Uchiha Itachi…" Mamoru's eyes widened. "… The other two squads failed in their objective, only managing to injure Hōzuki Suigetsu instead of killing him and not getting to Hōzuki Karin. ANBU squad 10 were sent out to rescue Itachi, which they managed, also managing to locate and rescue Sasuke. Sasuke had some very interesting information about Akatsuki, first and foremost the fact that they now have a new leader, Osutin Ruiizu, formerly of Kiri. They have also Sealed the Hachibi, meaning that the Kyuubi is their next target. Also, they have conquered Kirigakure, Kumogakure and Iwagakure with their next target being Konohagakure. After this, they plan to Seal the Kyuubi and test the powers of their Demonic Statue on Sunagakure. Hokage-sama sent us to request your aid against this threat," Kaname finished. For a long moment, Gaara sat lost in thought. The young Suna ninja looked apprehensive; their gaze met the Konoha ninjas'.

"Duty calls us to help you," he said. "If Akatsuki are strong enough to overpower three of the great shinobi nations, we should assume that they may be able to overpower Konoha if it has no aid. Also, if Konoha falls, Suna will have a major threat that will be almost impossible to overcome. On top of that, our alliance demands that I assist you."

"Thank you," Kaname said.

"It will take me a while to get our force ready to assist you, but I will send Mamoru, Usagi and Taro to assist you now." His family looked at him.

"We'll go too," Kankuro said.

"No. I need the pair of you to help me organise our troops," Gaara said. "Be prepared to go," he told the younger generation. "Will you eat with me before you go?" he asked the Konoha ninja. Kaname accepted and Gaara informed his chef that there would be six extra mouths to feed. The chef adapted quickly and soon they were tucking into a delicious meal.

"Has Naruto sent messages to any other countries?" Gaara inquired as they ate. Kaname nodded.

"Amegakure, Kusagakure and Takigakure," she answered. Gaara smiled.

"Did you know that Ame used to be the headquarters of the Akatsuki?" he asked. Surprised, Kaname shook her head.

"You father fought with the then head of Akatsuki, Pein, and got him to change his ways. Pein then gave his life to save the people he had killed and his aide, Konan, left the organisation," he told her. "As far as I am aware, Konan is still the leader of Amegakure **(A/N – I know she's dead, but I wrote this before hand and I think she's awesome – fanfics license people!)**. Her daughter participated in the exams. I believe you defeated her in the third exam, Kei."

"Megumi?" Kei asked.

"Correct," Gaara answered.

All too soon, they finished their meal and bade farewell to the Kazekage and his siblings. The three Suna ninja accompanied them.

"So Akatsuki overpowered Uchiha Itachi?" Mamoru asked. The Konoha ninja nodded.

"Both of them," Suzanna said. Usagi looked at her in shock.

"Both?" she asked, incredulous. "Separately, you mean? They're both very strong so together they'd be just about unbeatable…" she trailed off as Rebatsuka shook her head.

"Together?" Mamoru gasped. "How strong are Akatsuki?"

"Strong," Suzanna said.

"Then we'd better hurry up," Taro said. "Otherwise they'll have already attacked before we get there." The other ninja nodded and they picked up the pace until they were almost flitting across the sand. The dark green blur slowly gained definition until it could be seen for what it was – the trees on the border of Hi no Kuni.

As they travelled through the forest, no words were spoken. Kaname had her Byakugan activated and was scanning the woods ahead. Suddenly, she held up a hand, signalling for them to stop. They did so, briefly, before silently creeping forwards. Rebatsuka merged with her sister. They stopped suddenly when they caught sight of Ruiizu, Anbaa and another girl that Rebatsuka and Suzanna assumed to be Yanafu.

"You were discovered," Ruiizu said. It was a statement, not a question. "That makes you worthless to me." Yanafu pinned the older kunoichi's arms behind her back. Anbaa didn't react, not even when an ominous cloud of dust appeared. The cloud swarmed like a hive of bees, surrounding and engulfing Anbaa. The cloud grew more and more compressed around the kunoichi, who didn't make a sound. Yanafu backed away. The allied ninja could only watch in horror as Anbaa was slowly crushed. Finally there was a spurt of blood and the dust dissipated. A mutilated lump of flesh with luminous green hair was all that was left of the spy. Despite being a noisy teen, Anbaa had suffered and died in silence, a testimony to her bravery.

"So now the idiot is dead," Ruiizu said, quite cheerfully for a thirteen year old girl that had just killed her 'favourite' spy. "Now to prepare the troops and crush Konoha…"

The Konoha and Suna ninja didn't wait to hear more. Silently, they fled towards the relative safety of Konohagakure, away from Arisu's creepy sister. They travelled in silence, what they had just witnessed shocking them beyond words.

Anbaa was dead. That didn't affect the three Suna ninja who knew her only as a spy – just the manner of her death. However, for the Konoha ninja it was a shock. She might have betrayed them, but she had still once been their friend.

Eventually, the gate of Konohagakure came into view. It was at this point that the Konoha ninja realised something – Mamoru, Taro and usagi didn't have visitor passes. The Suna ninja also realised this, but decided to let the Konohagakure ninja handle the problem.

"Leave it to me," Kaname said. No-one argued, after all, she was the Hokage's eldest daughter.

"Halt!" Kotetsu said upon noticing the Suna ninja. "Your ID and passes please." All the ninja (including Rebatsuka who emerged from her sister) showed their ID cards, which were thoroughly checked by Kotetsu and Izumo for any hints of forgery. Satisfied that they were all genuine, they were returned.

"Sorry about that," Izumo said. "But after what happened we have to be more vigilant and tighten up the security." He looked at the Suna ninja. "Your passes please."

Kaname spoke up.

"Hasn't my father told you that envoys from Suna, Ame, Taki and Kusa are expected?" she asked. "We were unable to supply visitor passes because we didn't know who would be returning with us."

"I'm sorry, Uzumaki Kaname-sama, but rules are rules-"Kaname cut Kotetsu off.

"We are going straight to my father now."

"But-"

"Send a Jounin to accompany us if you wish," she said. Kotetsu and Izumo glanced at each other.

"Tsukiyomi! Yuki! Sayuri!" Izumo called. The three Chuunin came over.

"Izumo-san?" Sayuri asked respectfully. A beautiful kunoichi with long, golden brown hair and violet eyes, she was always very polite to those she respected and admired… Basically, everyone apart from people younger than her and Itachi's fangirls. Like most girls her age, she harboured feelings for her old academy classmate but kept them to herself, thus being rewarded with a solid friendship with the Uchiha.

"These Suna ninja don't have visitor passes. Escort them to Hokage-sama would you?" Izumo said.

"Hai!" Tsukiyomi said. He had short, spiky onyx hair and mischievous silver eyes. Although he was fifteen, he was small (not much taller than Tani) and so received constant jibes from people, who were promptly pranked.

The other kunoichi, Yuki, stayed silent. Her black hair was tightly braided in many small plaits in such a way that most of her natural white highlights were hidden. Her eyes were a hard sapphire colour. A dangerous aura constantly radiated from her, affecting many people who didn't know her. To other people, who knew her better, she wasn't as unnerving – just cold which they knew was a mask to hide her shy personality. Konoha was her fourth home. She was originally from Kiri, but had been forced to run away. The same fate had met her in Yukigakure and Takigakure before she'd found sanctuary in Konoha. The reason for her plight? A kekkei genkai that she'd never demonstrated or named. Some speculated that she was related to Arisu, others thought that she was lying. Naruto had a strong suspicion, but no-one knew what it was.

As the twelve ninja walked towards the Hokage Tower, Mamoru regarded Rebatsuka and Suzanna in curiosity. The sisters had once again separated and were walking side by side.

"What is it?" Rebatsuka asked him, noticing his curiosity.

"My uncle, Kankuro, said that he once fought two with the kekkei genkai Sumo no Ko," the redhead said. "He assumed that you had to be siblings for it to work. Forgive me, but you don't look like sisters."

Rebatsuka laughed.

"Your uncle is right – but you're not the first to think we don't look like sisters and you won't be the last." Mamoru looked at them again. The only similarities between them were their eyes – identical shades of blue-grey – and their hair, both blonde although Rebatsuka's was darker. They had completely different dress senses. Suzanna wore a pale yellow dress with short sleeves that reached her ankles although there were five slits, equally spaced, which reached her waist. Underneath, she wore a pair of grey shorts. Dainty black shoes and white ankle socks completed the 'innocent' image.

On the other hand, Rebatsuka wore a tight fitting, black top with very short sleeves and black, reasonably tight, three quarter-length trousers. Black boots with stiletto heels – closer inspection would reveal that they were blades – that looked impossible to walk in let alone fight but Rebatsuka walked as though they were no different to her sisters' completed the 'I'm a Bad Girl – don't mess with me' image. They were polar opposites.

"Here we are," Sayuri said as they came to a halt outside the office. She knocked and waited. There wasn't an answer. Tsukiyomi knocked harder and repeated until a quiet but cold voice spoke.

"He's not in there," Yuki said.

"Then where is he?" Tsukiyomi asked.

"Try the Uchiha mansion," Kaname suggested. The escorts looked at each other briefly.

"OK, Kaname-san," Sayuri said. They made their way to the Uchiha Mansion, each with different feelings.

Rebatsuka wondered if the wounded Uchiha were doing any better, and how Tani and Surin were coping.

Suzanna was wondering much the same thing – and how they were going to tell them that Anbaa was dead.

Kentaro was slightly nervous. He had a solid friendship with (and a bit of a crush on) Tani but he'd never been inside her home.

Isas, as always, was thinking about Mikoto and how she was coping with all the males in her family injured.

Kaname was looking forwards to seeing her father again.

Kei, ever the strategist, was wondering how much of a disadvantage they were at if Sasuke, Itachi, Itachi and Suigetsu weren't fit to fight when the inevitable battle occurred.

Sayuri was hoping that Itachi wasn't too badly injured – and that she wouldn't have to see Hanabi (during the academy days Itachi's fangirl number 1).

Tsukiyomi was wondering if Naruto would be in the mood to discuss pranks with him.

Yuki was nervous about entering a house filled with so many people.

Mamoru was hoping that he could have a chat with Itachi-kun.

Taro was wondering just how many people would be in the house.

Usagi wondered if she would be able to have chat with Mikoto – she didn't know much about the kunoichi but thought that they could be friends.

When they arrived, the first person they met was Kisame, sitting outside.

"That was quick," he commented.

"Is Hokage-sama in there?" Sayuri asked. Kisame nodded and opened the door. Mamoru, Taro and Usagi followed the Konoha ninja into the Mansion, feeling slightly dizzy, as though something had briefly entered their minds. Activating her Byakugan, Kaname located her father. He was in the room with the injured Uchiha.

The ninja halted as they saw the state of the injured. Mikoto and Tani were fussing over their brother. The three of them had extensive medical knowledge although it wasn't Mikoto and Itachi's primary skill.

Ino, Hinata and Shizune were kneeling next to Itachi, who was back on his futon at the insistence of Sakura, and were continuing to heal him. Sakura was using her medical ninjutsu to relieve the cramp in her husband's legs.

Naruto noticed them first.

"So you're back," he said. "And judging by the presence of the Suna ninja, I'm guessing that we have the Kazekage's support?"

Mamoru spoke.

"My father is readying our village's forces as we speak. They will come as soon as they can – in the meantime, the three of us will assist as much as we can."

"I knew I could rely on Gaara," Naruto muttered. Then he frowned. "Accommodation…"

"I can sort that," Sasuke said, standing up despite his wife's protests. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Sasuke…" he said. "Are you sure?" The Uchiha nodded.

"Follow me," he said to the Suna ninja. "I'll show you where you can stay." He walked out of his home and entered the house next door. "Sorry – it's bit dirty," he said. "no-one's lived here for thirty-one years."

"That's fine, Uchiha-sama," Usagi said. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

"Sasuke's fine," he told her. "But you're welcome." He walked back into his home and looked in on the Hōzukis. Suigetsu was sitting up. Next to him sat Karin, who was bandaging her arm. Fresh puncture wounds told Sasuke all he needed to know.

"Hanabi," he said. The young kunoichi nodded in acknowledgement of him. "Sayuri's here – try not to provoke her, OK?"

"Mm hm," she said, not looking up from a game of Shoji she was having with Surin. A few years ago, Shikamaru had taught them his favourite game and now they played it every chance they got. Sasuke looked at the board but couldn't tell who was winning – he'd declined his friend's offer to teach him the game.

"Checkmate," he heard Hanabi say.

"Wha..? Hey! That's not fair!" Surin sulked. "I demand a rematch!"

Suigetsu chuckled at his son's antics.

"He's not a good loser," he said.

"I wonder where he gets that from," Sasuke replied.

"Where?" Suigetsu asked.

"Well, considering that the pair of you would never let the other have the last word while we were in Taka…" Sasuke trailed off as he left the room.

Suigetsu scowled as he caught Sasuke's meaning.

"Cool it," Karin said, putting her (newly bandaged) arm around him. "Unless you want to prove him right."

"So, anything eventful happen?" Naruto asked.

"Nope," said Rebatsuka, unless you count nearly bumping into a certain Akatsuki leader."

"And her spy," said Suzanna. "And another Akatsuki girl."

"What happened?" Naruto demanded.

"We had just entered Hi no Kuni when were realised that Ruiizu, Anbaa and one other-"

"Yanafu," Sasuke supplied.

"-Yanafu- were not that far from us," Kaname reported.

"Then what?" Naruto pressed.

"Ruiizu was angry with Anbaa for being found out," Kei said.

"She… she…" Kentaro stuttered.

"Ruiizu killed her," Isas said. "Anbaa's dead."

There was a stunned silence.

"It was inevitable," the oldest Uchiha said.

"What?" Itachi-kun gasped.

"Spies are only useful until they're caught. Once everyone knows that they're a spy, their master – or mistress in this case – has no use for them. They're eliminated."

"You sound like you know a lot about that," Mamoru commented, re-entering with his cousins.

"I've spent most of my life spying for someone or other," Itachi said. "When I entered the ANBU Black Ops, my father used me to spy on the Hokage and the elders. At the same time, they used me to spy on my clan. And since I was 13, I've been spying on the Akatsuki, although no-one knew, not even the ones I was spying for – Konoha."

"Well we know now," Naruto said. "You made sure of that the night you returned."

"You have sent messengers to Ame, Taki and Kusa, am I correct?" Mamoru said, a thought striking him.

"Yes," Naruto said. "Why?"

"If they sent a squad in advance, will they encounter the trouble that we did?" Usagi wondered. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Sayuri, Tsukiyomi and Yuki – go back to the gate and escort any visitors from those villages here," he ordered. He was obeyed.

"And now, we wait," Mikoto muttered.

**Sorry it's been SO LONG since I last updated! Four months! I'm so sorry! I hope this exra-long chapter has atoned for my sin somewhat. I'm now in Sixth Form studying for A Levels and it's taking up a lot of my time so I can't promise regular updates. I **_**can**_** promise, however, that I have no intention of abandoning this story without a very good reason!**

**I have to admit, however, that I am now much less on the Naruto fandom and much more in the D. Gray-Man one, so my muse is giving me more inspiration for my DGM updates.**

**The reason I finally managed to update this is because of some lovely people who KEPT NAGGING me and demanding to know when the next update was – **DarkAlliGator**,** Phoenix Esthiem**,** Paeleo-anthropologist** and my Mum/Beta (Yes, my Mum betas this!)!**

**Also, the state of the canon characters in this story is as it was when I started this story in 2009 so there will be inconsistencies with the manga now because the author is doing crazy things that I hadn't foreseen, like SPOILER killing Konan SPOLIER etc.**


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